


Serenity || Pein x Fem!Reader

by EmmzyPlayz



Series: Akatsuki x Reader Series Collection [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Akatsuki member, Almost Kiss, Amaterasu - Freeform, Amegakure, Angel Konan, Ass-Kicking, Awakening, Big Brothers, Blood, Blood and Injury, Blushing, Bonding, Breakfast, Broken Bones, Brothers, Chai Tea, Chakra, Chakra Blades, Chuunin Exams, Cigarettes, Clones, Coffee, Comfort, Companions, Complicated Relationships, Confessions, Cooking, Crimes & Criminals, Crushes, Dating, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Dinner, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fainting, Falling In Love, Family Secrets, Flashbacks, Flirting, Forehead Kisses, Friendship/Love, Genjutsu, God Pain, Hair, Healing, Hidan (Naruto) Swears, Hidden Feelings, Hidden Grass Village, Hidden Rain Village, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Inappropriate Behavior, Infiltration, Injury, Jealousy, Jonin, Jutsu, Kekkei Genkai | Bloodline Limit, Kidnapping, Kusagakure, Laughter, Leaf Ninja, Legendary Sannin, Mangekyou Sharingan, Memories, Minor Injuries, Missing-Nin, Missions, Near Death Experiences, Nightmares, Nighttime, Ninja, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Past Relationship(s), Pervert, Plans, Plans For The Future, Plotting, Poison, Poisoning, Post-Chuunin Exams, Post-Infiltration, Post-Mission, Pre-Relationship, Punching, Questioning, Questions, Reading, Regret, Return, Return of Itachi, Returning Home, Revenge, Rings, Rinnegan, Running Away, Sadness, Scolding, Secret Crush, Secret Identity, Secrets, Secrets Revealed, Sharingan, Sibling Rivalry, Siblings, Sleepiness, Sleeping Together, Staring, Summer, Summer Nights, Summoning, Swordplay, Swords, Taijutsu, Talking, Tea, Team Bonding, Teasing, Tension, Threats, Threats of Violence, Touching, Tsukuyomi - Freeform, Uchiha Massacre, Unconciousness, Water, Weapons, chidori - Freeform, compliments, conciousness, dojutsu, keeping secrets, kunoichi - Freeform, meetings, samehada - Freeform, saving people, savior
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-29 14:13:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 25,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10855653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmzyPlayz/pseuds/EmmzyPlayz
Summary: When a God steps out among his people, and he finds a woman injured, he does something out of character for someone of his status; he saves her. When you awakens you're faced with a realization of exactly who the people are that surround you now, and the organization you're now forced into by the man who helped you. However, as time goes by, you two go through a series of events that eventually make you both come to terms with not just the world around you, but how you feel for one another. In the end, will you find peace, or get lost in the chaos?





	1. Enigma

For a God to walk among his people, it was completely out of character, and it wasn’t surprising that his angel would protest to his decision. However, when a man of his power made a decision it was not only hard to sway him but next to impossible. So after much objecting on the part of his right hands, she eventually gave in to his choice with the agreement that he remain away from the citizens of his realm and avoids people. He surprisingly didn’t seem to mind this and agreed without any thought in the matter.  
  
So with this in mind, he set out on his journey and found his feet taking him away from his rainy kingdom of Amegakure towards the more bamboo forest filled, dry region of the Village Hidden in the Grass. His strange eyes surveyed this new, strange world he’d entered that greatly differed from his territory, and he found it to be a nice change. As he continued through the land of the Hidden Grass, he found the silence to be quiet calming and relaxing as it was a nice change from the normally loud environment of the Akatsuki base that he normally stayed in with his Tendō path whilst allowing one of his others to keep watch over Amegakure. However, right now was an exception as he continued to trek through the bamboo forest as he’d been returning to Amegakure to rest this body for a short time and be away from the noisy environment.  
  
The God suddenly paused and tilted his head just slightly as he squinted his eyes. He’d not been expecting to encounter anyone as he’d told the blue-haired kunoichi back at base he’d avoid people at all costs. It seemed regardless of this, he’d still encountered someone. Much to his relief, she was unconscious, but she was also injured it seemed. She had several cuts on her arms and some senbon needles lay scattered in the grass. Her breathing was labored as well, and he was certain she was poisoned. As he stood just a few feet from her body, he didn’t know what compelled him to do it, but he knelt down and scooped up the kunoichi into his arms.  
  
For some reason, the God who could not be swayed felt an impulsive need to assist her. He knelt down, retrieving and pocketing one of the senbon in order to have one of his members decipher the types of poisons and heal her. He closed his eyes momentarily before opening them again and looking to the sky. He couldn’t fathom as to why this kunoichi whom of which he only just met made him feel like she was important, perhaps it could be a power she held within or something more, but all he knew was he felt an overwhelming need to protect her and keep her close. Little did he know, such a thing would pay off in the end.  
  
\--  
  
“Pein…what is the meaning of this?” said the woman as the man stood inside the sheltered concrete walls of his tower. His eyes stared at the blue-haired kunoichi before him and it was hard to tell if he even saw she was standing before him at all. “Konan, this girl needs help,” he stated simply. “We will discuss this matter later, for now, I would like to have her sent to the main hideout and treated for her wounds by Sasori.” Her golden eyes bore into his own with a guarded look in them, but he was not fazed by this. It took a few long moments before she nodded and closed her eyes as she bowed her head slightly as if out of respect for the man’s decision. “Alright, we shall take her there, but who shall you have watch over Amegakure?” “Ningendō shall,” he said. “With the base being within range I can also manipulate the rain from their as usual so it shall seem as though nothing has changed.”  
“Of course, shall I go on ahead and inform Sasori?”  
“Yes, then we shall have our meeting over the matter of her stay in the Akatsuki, what team she shall be partnered with, and what use she will be to us.”  
“Understood…shall I inform _him_ of her arrival as well?”  
“Yes, he will need to be told as we must all be present in the discussion. Now go.”  
“As you wish.”  
  
\--  
  
The arrival of the kunoichi stirred up a buzz of interest among many of the Akatsuki members, but they knew to suppress their curiosity and refrain from bothering Sasori to see her. Pein would speak to them when he was ready to assign her to a group and inform them of which group she’d be working with for the rest of her stay in the organization. Pein sat in a chair in his quarters as he clasped his hands together and closed his eyes. The woman sat across from him with her legs crossed over each other, her eyes fixated upon her leader. “Has Sasori found a headband indicating her affiliations?” he asked. “Yes, she is, in fact, a former kunoichi of the Hidden Grass. However, the symbol of the Grass had been scratched out so she is a missing-nin,” replied the woman. “What do you plan to do with her?”  
“We are in need of extra members in case our own were to meet an untimely demise,” said the God as he opened his strange eyes and looked towards the third member of the party. “Do you agree to this, Madara?”  
“Yes, but how do we know she will be of use to us later?” said the masked man from where he sat nearby.  
“You will find use for her, will you not? I will test her abilities myself, and we can go from there. Only then can I determine a team to pair her up with, with your approval of course,” said Pein.  
“Hm…Do as you will, I shall keep an eye on her myself. As you said, I will find use for her. For now, until she awakens and we know more about her abilities and past, she will remain in Sasori’s care,” said Madara. “I shall take my leave now…I’ve much to do.”  
Pein simply closed his eyes in response for several moments before the woman spoke again, “Pein…be honest with me, why did you take her in? You know we could do without her.”  
“I don’t know, Konan. I simply don’t know.”


	2. Purpose

A week had passed before you started to come to and found yourself in an unfamiliar environment. You squinted as you took in your surroundings slowly. The room was small with walls made up of stone and floor made of smooth limestone. It was lit by several candles spread throughout, but still somewhat dim regardless. A small nightstand made of deep mahogany with three drawers that had brass handles on them stood beside the bed you lay in, and across from it sat a desk made of the same wood. It had several large drawers as well, and a chair was pushed into the hole for it neatly.   
  
However, the top of the desk was far from being neat. It had stacks of papers with some messing spread about from what you could spot and a few were even scattered on the floor. You looked around spotting a door that was closed and a dresser along the same wall as it. You sighed, shifting comfortably beneath the black sheets of the bed, unwilling to force yourself up as your body was stiff and pained even now. You pondered how you could've ended up in this small cave-like room, but you had no answers to give yourself. You could hardly remember what happened before you'd passed out, let alone how you'd ended up here. You eventually settled on the idea that someone must've taken you in to treat your poison riddled body that they had to have come across in the bamboo forests of the Hidden Grass.   
  
You shuddered. Just thinking of that place sent shivers up your spine, and made you sink further beneath the comforting blankets. If only someone would come in to give you answers. However, this thought sent anxiety and fear running through your body. What if it was Orochimaru who'd decided to save you just to use you as an experiment? You feared the man after hearing of all the stories and news from visitors of the Hidden Grass that had passed through frequently. If he'd captured you to experiment on you, you knew you'd be a goner.   
  
You didn't have any time to ponder who else could've taken you due to the sound of a key sliding into the door and a click following to signal it was unlocked. Your breath caught in your throat as you heard it turn. Then, it swung open to reveal a red haired male with a doll-like face in a black cloak with red clouds on it. His taupe eyes had a glossy look to them as if they were fake as they look towards you. He had a slight smile, and spoke quietly, "Finally awake, are we? You were beginning to wear down my patience, and I hate being kept waiting." He moved slowly over to your bedside and sat down next to you. “How do you feel? You don’t look to be feverish anymore,” he said as he looked you over with those glassy eyes. “I feel much better than just before I lost consciousness,” you replied. “Just very weak, hungry, and thirsty…”  
“I’ll go get you some water then. I’ll return shortly,” he said before slowly rising to his feet and heading for the door.  
“W-Wait!” you called after him making him pause and look over his shoulder.  
“What?” he asked with slight irritation.  
“P-Please tell me your name. I want to know the person who rescued me…”  
“My name is Sasori, I simply healed you. I am not the one who found you.”  
“I see…thank you Sasori…”       
“Hn…I was simply following orders.”  
  
With that, he turned away as he took his leave. You were left in silence as you sat in your bed. “Sasori…” you whispered. “Wait…Sasori…that name. It’s so familiar…Sasori…Sasori of the Red Sand!” You gasped softly, covering your mouth. You knew you’d recognized such a name, he’d been in your bingo book you had left behind in your village. An S-ranked criminal who’d cut ties to the Hidden Sand Village, and was suspected in the disappearance of the Third Kazekage. You shuddered. How did he manage to look as young as he had the day he’d left? It had been several decades since then, and he still had the looks of a young teenager. You shivered as you thought of possibilities, but none came to mind. You ran a hand through your hair, a small sigh escaping you as your mind whirled. “So…if he simply healed me due to an order, there must be someone above him. But why would that someone save me, and who?” you said out loud. “That would be me,” said a voice that made you nearly jump out of your skin.  
  
Your head snapped to the door to see a man with ginger hair, and the same robes that Sasori had worn. He had several piercings on his face and ears that gave him an intimidating appearance, but what made you most uneasy was the piercing purple eyes that had an unsettling appearance to them. They felt as though they stared right into your soul, making you cower before the man as a feeling of inferiority overtook you. He didn’t seem to notice, if he did he gave no indication either from not caring, or being used to such a reaction. You opened your mouth to ask his name, but nothing came out. You couldn’t believe such a man could make you feel such a way that’d cause you to be incapable of words, but the feeling of power the man possessed was quite intimidating to someone like yourself. “You wish to know my name?” he asked, and you nodded as you felt a faint blush of embarrassment rise to your cheeks. “I am God, but you are to refer to me as Leader-sama.”  
“H-Hai…” you stammered.  
“What is your name?”  
“(y/n)…(y/n) (l/n).”  
“Well (y/n), you are a kunoichi from the Hidden Grass, am I correct?”  
“Was,” you corrected as you looked away. “I cut my ties with them recently, just as you have from Amegakure, at least from what your headband shows.”  
“I see…will you not tell me of why you left?”  
“Just because you saved me doesn’t mean I must tell you my life story. There is no reason for me to, I don’t expect you to share yours, so why give such information?”  
“Hm…as I suspected. You don’t trust me, do you?”  
“Not in the slightest. Who knows, you could be like Orochimaru, using me for experiments to gain whatever knowledge you seek. I’m not foolish as other ninjas are, I won’t be an open book and allow myself to be manipulated or pitied by others. Until I can trust you completely, I shall not tell you of my past.”  
“Understandable,” he said as he closed his eyes momentarily before opening them again. “However, since you are to stay here now, you will have to obey my word. I will not force you to tell me your story, but I find it intriguing considering I found you half dead, and I could’ve easily let you die in that forest.”  
“…Stay here now…what!?” you protested. “I will not be kept here against my will! If that is what you plan, you ought to kill me now because I refuse.”  
“If that is truly what you wish…” he said as he stared into your eyes with such an intensity it made your skin crawl, and your heart nearly stop. “…That can be arranged. However, do you truly want to die? You’ve so much potential in this world, yet you seek to end your life? Have you lived long enough to grasp the idea of death? To know the pain it causes those around you? To comprehend what dying would mean?”  
  
You were at loss for words. You endured much in your twenty-one years of life that you’d gone through in the Hidden Grass, and here you were finally escaping it all just to ask the man that had saved your life to take it away. You tore your gaze from him as you found yourself incapable of holding it any longer. “As I suspected,” he said simply. You flinched at his words, your hand grabbing your arm, squeezing as a form of comfort. A simple ‘hm’ came from the man known as ‘God’, and you turned your head towards him, refusing to look still. “Well, quit moping like a child who lost her favorite doll. Get up,” he said in his authoritative voice. You raised your eyes to look at him questioningly. “Why?” you asked. “All your questions will be answered in time, now rise, unless you wish to remain dehydrated and starved?”   
  
At that, you slowly moved from the bed, and you felt the cool surface of the floor beneath your feet. His eyes never left you as you staggered slightly, grabbing the nightstand as a means of steadying yourself. You fixated your eyes on the ground. It infuriated you that this man continued to see you in such a weak state with each encounter you two had. You regained your balance, turning to give Leader a hard stare as you thought in the back of your mind how you’d refuse to call him by such an honorific meant for one whom you saw in high regard that was above yourself. For him to call himself ‘God’, to refer to himself in such a manner, and to insist you call him by such was both repulsive to you, and infuriating all the same. He looked faintly amused before turning away, heading for the door as if he expected you to follow without asking you to. With much reluctance you did, not because of his air of authority that intimidated you, but because your hunger and thirst drove you after him.  
  
\--  
  
You kept your head up, ignoring the stares of several people who wore similar robes to the ginger haired male as you passed them by in what you thought must be a lounging area. A man with slicked-back silver hair whistled while eyeing your body, and said, “Wow, nice ass.” He reached out in an attempt to make a grab for you as you walked by, catching your wrist. You gave him a hard glare, making a move to yank your wrist from his grasp, but he held firm as his lavender eyes danced. “Feisty too, I like that,” he said with a snicker. “Hidan,” said Leader as the now named man looked in his direction. “I suggest you release her.” Hidan’s eyes thinned slightly as he held Leader’s gaze, before he unhanded you, muttering as he turned away. Leader’s gaze lingered on the man before he turned away and continued onward into the kitchen. You followed, wishing to be away from the others, especially the man known as Hidan. He reminded you too much of what your previous life had been in the Hidden Grass, and you wanted no part of it.   
  
It was several minutes more before you were in a room alone with the man again. He slid a bento box with chopsticks across the table to you as he got comfortable in his chair. You thanked him quietly before opening it to reveal its contents. Several fresh slices of Sashimi, three rice balls wrapped in seaweed, and several pieces of sushi. It also had a water bottle tucked in the side of it, which you eagerly snatched up and popped the top off. You took two large gulps before putting it down with a sigh, then you wiped your mouth before screwing the cap on again, and proceeding to eat. The man was silent as he observed you, waiting till you were ready to speak with him. It took a few minutes before you composed yourself enough to form a conversation with the man across from you, “So…Leader...what’s with the robes? And why save me when you stated yourself that you could’ve easily left me to die.”  
“Hm…so I am assuming you’ve never heard of or seen the Akatsuki then…” he mused out loud.  
“Wait…the Akatsuki?” you said, alarm clear in your eyes as he seemed amused at your reaction.  
“So you _have_ heard of us, but have never seen us before.  I assume that is with luck…we are not a group one would enjoy meeting I presume. Well, the Akatsuki is an organization that I created, hence my name, and it is a group seeking peace through more…forceful means. We simply wish to make the world cease warring with one another, and to create a world where all live in harmony.”  
You gritted your teeth before asking, "Why? Why did you of all people save me? You're the leader of the goddamn Akatsuki! What have I got to do with all of this!?"  
"The question of 'why' is useless. What good would it do you to know my reasoning behind why I saved you in the first place? Would it really put you at ease?" he countered making you tense before turning away from him.  
"N-no...but if I am to stay here, you must have a use for me. Do you not?"  
"Your purpose of why you are here shall come in due time, (y/n). For now, we shall determine whose team you are to be placed in as you will help form our first three-man cell depending on your chakra nature, and if you have any kekkei genkai I suggest you tell me now. Otherwise, I will find out on my own, and I believe it's in your best interest to tell me now instead of making me hunt down your clan to find out."  
"H-Hai," you said as you looked down to your lap. "My clan, the (l/n) clan...they have an extremely rare kekkei genkai that only I possess. My blood is infused with chakra that heals the person who consumes it."  
"I see, and what of your chakra nature?"  
"Water, and Lightning."  
"I see a most unique combination. Your lightning counteracts earth which would cancel out your water nature. You'd simply need to watch out for a wind nature user...this will make pairing you up with your team all the much easier."  
"Leader, if you wish to not explain to me what it is, I will not pressure you, but what of your eyes? What are they?"  
"Such a child I see, so clueless to the world outside your little village...no wonder you ran away. They must've kept you from exploring the world around you, keeping you from prospering into the flower you'll soon bloom into," he said as he rose and walked over to you, gently, yet firmly grabbing your chin between his thumb and forefinger to make you look into them. "(Y/n) these eyes are that of the Rinnegan, such a power makes me a God, and I hope to never have to use such power on you if you simply follow my orders, and obey. Otherwise, I'll have to stop allowing such a flower to be nurtured and be forced to make it wither away and die. Do you understand?"  
  
You nodded weakly, an intense feeling of fear coursing through your body. He was so close to you that it was intimidating, the power he possessed in those eyes making you quiver at his touch. For some reason, you truly feared what possible strength he had, but all the same that fear was mixed with intrigue, and a desire to know him better. His eyes squinted just slightly before releasing you as he turned away from you. "Good," he said. "The sooner you listen to me, and obey, the better your situation will be." With that, he started towards the door, cloak flowing around him as he went. "When you are finished, wait here. I will send someone to retrieve you, one this happens you shall then know of your purpose to the Akatsuki."


	3. Severance

"So she does indeed have something unique about her that we can use to succeed in our plan," mused the masked man.  
"Indeed," replied Pein.  
"Have you determined who you shall pair her with?" asked Madara.  
"I believe Itachi, and Kisame would be good for her. Kisame can help her with her water style, as for being countered by a wind style user, Itachi can cover her with his fire nature. I also entrust them to keep an eye on her, as well as ensure her safety. It is also possible that she could heal Itachi's eyes, which would increase our power once more."  
"Hm...I approve of your choice," he said. "You may pair her with them, and they shall be in charge of her safety from now on. However, I expect you to remain vigilant. We can't let someone with such a powerful Kekkei Genkai fall into the hands of one of the five great nations. It'll only be abused as it more than likely was in the Hidden Grass, and she'd be difficult to retrieve if they found out her power she possesses. I'd also like you to have her try to heal Itachi to determine how powerful her abilities truly are."  
"Very well," Pein said as he turned to Konan. "Go and get her, you know where to take her."  
  
She dipped her head in acknowledgment as she rose before walking out to bring you to the place he'd use to introduce you to your new teammates. Pein closed his eyes once she was gone as Madara said, "I'm counting on you to ensure she can truly keep up with everyone, and she isn't going to be a problem further down the road. If she is, dispose of her." Pein was silent as he listened to Madara teleport away, and he found himself hoping he'd not have to do such a thing which left him deep in thought as he found himself wondering why.  
  
\--  
  
You were deep in thought when the sound of the door opening drew your attention. You looked to see a blue haired female with golden eyes and the robes of the Akatsuki. You two stared at one another for several moments before she spoke, "Please follow me." You rose to your feet slowly before moving around the table towards her in silence. Her expression remained neutral as she turned away, walking down the hallway, she didn't even glance back to ensure you were following.   
  
She led down a hallway to a boulder that blocked your route, and you looked at her puzzled. She suddenly did a flurry of hand signs before placing her hand on the rock which caused it to move aside. _A seal..._ you thought silently as light flooded the hallway. Your eyes widened as you saw the outside world, and you gave her a bewildered look. She simply nodded to you, motioning you to leave. You eyed her before you stepped out, and away from the cavern. She smiled, forming signs before the boulder moved till it concealed the hideout once more. "Why...?" you wondered aloud before turning to look at the surrounding area.  
  
It was beautiful, the surrounding area had fresh green grass and a pathway leading down to a small dock to an ocean. There was a forest area to your left and a more open field to your right that gave way to a sandy beach near the ocean shore. You closed your eyes as you took a deep breath of fresh air, and a small breeze tugged at your clothes and hair. You opened them again as you relaxed before heading down towards the ocean shore.  
  
\--  
  
The black haired man was seated high up in an oak tree with his back to the trunk as he watched the girl from afar. His crimson eyes glowed in the shade that the leaves provided, and a slight interest was easy to depict in them regardless if he'd admit it or not. "It seems you were right, Kisame. She is heading towards the ocean," he said. "When your opponent has water nature, it is the only obvious route," he replied with a grin. "Hm...Shark Skin is getting excited."  
"Don't forget she's our newest addition," reminded the first. "And she's our third teammate. You can spar her another time."  
Kisame nodded, thinking for a few moments before saying, "I wonder if she's like us...killed any of her comrades..."  
"Hm...we shall see eventually," said Itachi as he watched her chose to take to the dock where Kisame and himself had first met. “Let’s go."  
  
\--  
  
You stared down into the deep blue water in silence as you found your mind wandering. You still didn’t know of your purpose here completely, and you were bothered as to why Leader would save you. You frowned when a sudden pair of shadows on either side of you reflected off the water below. Your eyes closed as you said, “I knew there had to be a reason she allowed me outside. It was too good to be true to assume I was let free.” Kisame grinned at this as your eyes opened once more and you continued, “So, have you come to dispose of me, or have you come to tell me my purpose here?” “As much as I’d enjoy allowing Samehada to have a go at you, I’m afraid we’re not here to end your life,” said Kisame.  
“Well isn’t that a relief,” you replied sarcastically as you slowly rose to your feet.  
“You seem to wish for death,” observed Itachi as you turned to them both.  
“I’d rather die than be stuck in this organization, but I see now I have no choice. Now, will you tell me who you are, and why you two have come to speak to me?”  
“We will be your teammates as of now,” explained Kisame. “I’m Kisame Hoshigaki formerly one of the seven ninja swordsmen from the Hidden Mist, and he is Itachi Uchiha of the Hidden Leaf the man who murdered his own flesh and blood before becoming a rogue ninja. We are pleased to meet you, and as the third member of your cell, you are?”  
“(y/n) (l/n) of the Hidden Grass, a runaway ninja who wouldn’t mind seeing the Hidden Grass burn to the ground,” you replied as you looked between the two with an indifferent gaze. “So we three shall be working together, huh? I’ll have you know I’m not much of a fighter, I prefer to heal if anything, but in a place like this I feel that won’t be possible. So, I look forward to training with you both.”  
“Hm, seems she’s like you, Itachi. I think you two pacifists will get along just fine,” said Kisame as your eyes met Itachi’s.  
  
You felt a tremor go through you as you saw his eyes. They were a crimson, with three tomoe in them, and you instantly knew of which dōjutsu it was he possessed as it wasn’t hard to determine based on his last name. The Uchiha, possessors of the much-feared Sharingan. With such power, you felt like you were in the presence of Pein, except he wasn’t as threatening as Pein seemed to be. He held your gaze for a moment before closing his eyes and nodding before turning away. Kisame snickered before turning to follow his partner as he headed towards the hidden cave entrance. You turned to gaze at the sea for a moment before joining your new teammates.    
  
\--  
  
As expected, sleep did not come easy for a while, but eventually, you gave into it with much reluctance. However, this was a mistake as nothing had changed since your escape from the Hidden Grass. Your dreams were haunted by nightmares and recollections of the past. You were paralyzed as the dream overtook you, and it was just as vivid as all the other times.  
  
 _You huddled in the corner of your cramped, dark, damp cell that you’d known almost all your life as you stared blankly at the floor. Your hair was disheveled and an emptiness was clear in your eyes. Your clothes hung loosely on your thin frame as you hugged your knees to your chest. You unknowingly traced the cuts on your arms, some fresh, others scarred from ages ago. The sound of a key unlocking your cell drew little attention from you, as you listened to the sound of the person’s feet as they came towards you. You suddenly came to life as a hand buried itself in your (h/c) locks, and yanked you to your unsteady feet. You cried out weakly as they threw you across the floor, before nearing you again. You whimpered as they grabbed your wrist roughly, grip strong enough to leave bruising. Then, the feeling of the blade tearing through your flesh, over, and over, and over again came, your screams filling the air as blood splattered the floor and your clothes. “(y/n), wake up!” called a distant voice that continued to grow louder, and louder. You knew that voice but found it impossible to pinpoint it as the person released you, and the pair of footsteps receded…_  
  
“Wake up!” ordered a deep man’s voice, and you jolted awake. Your heart pounded so hard in your ribcage you felt it’d explode as tears streamed down your cheeks. You barely registered the arms around you that pressed you into the man’s chest as your body shook uncontrollably. It was only when he took your chin between his fingers and made you look at him that you realized he was even there at all. As you recognized him after a few moments, your tears streamed faster down your cheeks, and you grabbed hold of his cloak tightly. “P-Please, don’t let them get me!” you cried as you tore your chin from his grasp, and buried your face in his cloak. He hesitated before wrapping his arms around you, rubbing your back comfortingly. “I won’t,” he said calmly. “You’re safe now. They’ll never touch you again.” You continued to sob as his eyes closed before opening once more, a hardened look to them. He didn’t know anything about your past due to your denial to speak of it, but from how you were acting now, he couldn’t deny something terrible must’ve happened to cause such a reaction. He could only wonder as your sobs receded into sniffles and uneven breaths. Eventually, he laid you down again as you’d fallen into a more peaceful sleep. He rose to his feet, staring down at you before leaving you to sleep peacefully.    
  
As soon as he closed the door, he lingered outside for a moment, back resting against it. He felt such a strange feeling when near you, it puzzled him. However, he couldn’t linger on it long as footsteps drew his attention. He looked to see the blue haired kunoichi at the end of the hallway, her eyes narrowed at him. A clear frown was gracing her lips as she watched him with those golden orbs. “Konan,” he said quietly making her look slightly pained at hearing his voice. “Pein…” she said softly as she looked to the ground. “It’s…happening isn’t it? You’re getting a strange feeling in your heart are you not?” “How…?” he asked. “Because I’ve felt such a way before…towards _him_ , towards _Yahiko_ ,” she snapped, and Pein froze before looking away from her so he’d avoid seeing her tears. “How…how can you start to feel such a way towards a woman you just met, Pein?” “I…I have no idea, Konan,” he replied awkwardly.  
  
“Then you should figure it out because I’m warning you now before they develop fully, _feelings are a dangerous thing to have…Nagato._ ”  
  
He was silent as she walked back the way she came, closing his eyes tightly as he frowned. He knew Konan must be in intense pain upon realizing how he beginning to feel towards (y/n) before he had. It must be even worse considering using any vessel besides his own, it’d contain the voice that she missed so much, and it’d only create a divide between them. He gritted his teeth, opening his eyes once more as he turned and placed his hand upon the door. _I’ll have to suppress these feelings…to spare Konan any more pain than she’s already felt. I can’t lose her, I’ve already lost Yahiko_ , he thought as he pulled away from the door, and slowly walked away. With each step, he felt his heart closing itself off in an attempt to remove any emotions he felt for that girl, and he grew colder, and colder inside as instead he replaced her with his goals for the future once more.


	4. Fascination

The next day, your first task was given to you as you sat beside Itachi on a rock in a clearing a ways away from the Akatsuki base. Kisame was waiting patiently as he observed from a few feet away. Konan stood beside him, an indifferent expression on her face as she spoke, “(y/n), your first task in order to see how strong your powers are, is to heal Itachi’s eyes.” You frowned at that, turning to your teammate who was frowning slightly. “Itachi, how bad are they?” you questioned as you moved to kneel in front of him, waving your hand before them in order to determine how poor his eyesight was. He was quick to grab her wrist, eyes narrowing as he said, “I may be nearly blind, but I can clearly hear your hand waving in front of my face.” “S-Sorry…I-I just need to know how bad it is…” you stammered. “Let her work, Itachi,” said Konan, obviously annoyed at how long this was bound to take if the Uchiha remained too prideful.  
“…” he said nothing as he released your wrist, closing his eyes momentarily before opening them.  
“Alright…follow my hand if you can see it, not if you can hear where it is,” you said before slowly waving your hand in front of his face.  
  
You waited for any form of response but received barely any from Itachi. The man’s eyes moved at times, but not like they should’ve. His reactions were slow, and you realized exactly how much he relied upon his hearing. You pulled your hand away, concern clear on your face as you turned to Kisame and Konan. “How did his eyes get this bad?” you questioned. “Overusing that dōjutsu of his,” answered Kisame. “I warned him that being reckless with something like that, it would only drain his chakra and harm him in the end.” “What dōjutsu?” you asked Itachi as you looked back at him.  
  
Itachi sighed, closing his eyes before opening them. Your eyes widened as you looked into his Mangekyō Sharingan, the design being three spiraling curves that went around his pupil. Seeing such a thing was both fascinating, and terrifying at the same time. “I-I see,” you said, closing your eyes for a moment before focusing on the task at hand. He reverted his eyes to their original coal color, wincing slightly. “Alright, let’s get to work on this,” you murmured. “May I see one of your kunai, Itachi?” He looked at you questioningly but obliged as he rifled through his cloak, before producing said item. You thanked him as you took the weapon from him. “Now…this is going to sting, but I promise it isn’t unsanitary, and I will ensure you don’t get an infection,” you began to explain. “My kekkei genkai involves my blood, it has healing properties by infusing my chakra into it which makes it clean at the same time since it is infusing my chakra to allow it to heal someone. In order to heal your eyes properly, you can’t take it orally I’m afraid. I’ll have to drop some of my blood into your eyes like eye drops.”  
  
He looked at you like you were insane, distrust clear in his eyes. You sighed in annoyance as you said, “If you get ill, or start dying, I allow not only you, but Kisame to kill me.” He still seemed uneasy, but gave a small nod. You positioned the blade over your left hand, before gritting your teeth as you made a cut on your palm. Crimson liquid began to surface from the wound, and you ordered Itachi to tilt his head back. With your right hand, you held his eyelid open. As you prepared to start, you began to talk to him in an attempt to lessen his focus on having to do such a procedure. “So…how long have you had _that_ dōjutsu?” you asked as you put your hand above his eye, closing it tightly to allow blood to drip. He was hesitant to reply, “…Since that night.” “Here it comes,” you said as the first few drops started to fall into his left eye making him flinch at the discomfort. “So…who made it awaken?” “Someone I was close to,” he responded as he struggled to close his eye.  
“I see…did they…?”  
“Yes.”  
“Do you miss them?”  
  
Itachi didn’t reply as you released his left eye, allowing him to blink again, disgust at what just occurred on his face, but you noted an underlying sadness. You waited a few moments, allowing him time to reply, but he didn’t. As you got his right eye prepared, you realized Itachi wasn’t going to speak his mind, however, his emotions clearly showed just speaking on the topic pained him. Although you knew the other two couldn’t tell how he felt from where they stood, you clearly could, and this person was someone he did indeed miss greatly. “I’m sorry,” you said softly as you began to do the same as you’d done to his left eye. “You’re fine,” said Itachi before going quiet. The rest of the time went in silence before you pulled away from the man. “Alright, let me see how much better they’ve become,” you said before waving a hand before his eyes.  
  
The results were a definite improvement. His reactions were better, not completely on point, but definitely improved. You smiled as you ceased waving it before him, allowing your hand to drop to your side. “Much better, it’ll definitely take two or three more times to heal them completely,” you said. “I could heal them fully now, but I’ve never healed eyes before, so I don’t want to push it. I also suggest you heed Kisame’s warnings, each time you use that dōjutsu your eyes will worsen again. I cannot completely heal them to the point where it’ll stop harming your sight, so it’ll worsen when you use the Mangekyō Sharingan.” He nodded as you rose from where you knelt before the Uchiha. “Thank you,” he said, and you gave him a warm smile. “It was nothing, I’m just following orders,” you answered him.  
“How are your eyes, Itachi?” questioned Konan.  
“Better,” he answered.  
“Good, I’ll let Leader know of the improvement. (y/n), he expects you to continue healing Itachi when he needs it, or he requests for you to,” said Konan, and you gave a curt nod to let her know you understood. “I shall take my leave now.”  
  
You watched the blue haired kunoichi walk off towards the Akatsuki hideout before looking back to Itachi who was standing once more, eyes back to that of the Sharingan. For some reason, they lingered on you for a few moments before he blinked and turned his head towards Kisame. “We should begin sparring with (y/n), test her abilities. You may go first, Kisame. Don’t go too rough on her,” said Itachi. “Heh, I’ll try my best,” said Kisame with a nod before turning away as he started to head towards the beach. You followed him silently, Itachi bringing up the rear as you felt like his eyes were fixated on you, gaze strong enough to burn holes into your back.  
  
\--  
  
You groaned as you collapsed on the couch, your body ached all over. Kisame hadn’t gone easy on you in training, and you thought for sure you’d be unable to move the next week. You were so unused to this since you’d not been allowed to be a ninja for a majority of your life, only capable of training yourself once you’d escaped the Hidden Grass, and that had been very little training at all. It had been just enough to determine your chakra natures, not much else. As a result, when your partners figured this out, they simply resorted to taijutsu. So now, here you were as you laid on the couch, aching all over and certain you would be bruised in the morning. A sudden weight on the end of the couch caught your attention, and you lifted your head to look over, seeing your raven-haired partner seated comfortably with a book in hand. He didn’t even spare you a glance as he commented, “You did well today.”  
“Thank you,” you said as you sat up with much effort, scooting closer to the Uchiha. “I’m sorry again about earlier, asking about your friend.”  
“It’s fine,” he said as he kept his eyes glued to his book.  
“So…you like reading?”  
“Yes.”  
“How can you with such terrible sight?”  
“It’s a struggle, but I manage,” he replied.  
“You should stop till your eyes are completely healed. I can see you’re squinting. You’re straining them,” you warned.  
“Hm…I feel as though you just wish to speak with me more,” he sighed, but he listened, surprisingly, as he put aside his book.  
“Maybe. I want to get to know you better. You’re my teammate so I should know who I’m dealing with.”  
“Then why not go bother Kisame?”  
“Because I can do that later, you’re here now.”  
“And if I wish not to speak?”  
“Then, I’ll force you somehow!”  
“You’re very persistent,” he commented.  
“I guess it’s in my nature.”  
“Fine, I’ll speak to you, but only later tonight when it’s just us two.”  
“Great! I’ll wait for you in my room later tonight! See you then, Itachi!”  
  
He watched you rise from the couch, before moving slowly away to your room. _She’s so innocent, kind, and considerate compared to the others it seems, too cheerful to be in a place like this. Why would Leader take her in of all people?_ he pondered as his gaze lingered on the hallway you’d disappeared down. He sighed, looking to his book as he smiled faintly. _She reminds me of Izumi…_ he thought, smile dissipating at the thought of his dead lover. No wonder he seemed to not mind speaking with you, your relaxed nature, and the way you seemed to care for him on a more personal level by easing his discomfort in having his eyes healed, it intrigued him, and you reminded him of her. His hand reached for his book, but he paused as he recalled how you’d suggested he stop for now so his eyes wouldn’t worsen further. He sighed, grabbing the book, and pocketing it within his cloak. He silently hoped to know more about you as he relaxed on the couch, looking at the ceiling. To him, you were a mystery, a puzzle as to where you came from, why you’d ended up here. He closed his eyes as a smile played across his face, tonight would be interesting for both of you.


	5. Solace

The sound of someone knocking on your door drew your attention from the book you’d been reading. “Come in!” you called, and the raven haired man entered a moment later. The sound of the door shutting filled your rather empty room, as you watched the Uchiha look around your quarters. He closed his eyes after a few moments before speaking, “Simple…I like it.” He walked over towards the bed, glancing at you before continuing, “May I?” You nodded, and he took a seat on the edge of the bed as you put aside the book. You watched him with curiosity, before he turned to look at you, his Sharingan eyes studying you. For some reason, you felt more at ease with him than with Leader whom you feared greatly for his Rinnegan. You felt you could trust Itachi not to harm you with such a dōjutsu. He cleared his throat before saying, “So you wished to get to know me more since we are to be partners…what do you wish to know?”  
“Your eyes to begin with. You never told me who that person was, and you never answered my question.”  
“You truly are persistent…” he sighed. “Fine. His name was Shisui Uchiha, a dear friend of mine, and yes I miss him.”  
“Did you…?”  
“No!” he said a bit loudly, looking aside after his outburst as he started again in a cooler tone. “No…it was before then. He…he committed suicide. I tried to save him, and I failed.”  
“I’m sorry,” you said with a frown.  
“Its fine, I agreed to speak to you tonight, so you can ask all you wish.”  
“The same goes for you. It’s only fair if you’re willing to answer my questions that I answer any of yours.”  
“Is that so…then I must ask…why did Leader-sama bring you here?”  
“Honestly…I have no idea. When he found me, I was unconscious and left for dead,” you admitted reluctantly.  
“Why would someone put you into that state?”  
“Because I ran away from my village making me a missing-nin. They sent people to hunt me down as a result.”  
“Why would you run? Did you do something wrong?”  
“I…yes in my village’s eyes I did.”  
“Care to tell me?”  
You took a deep breath, before struggling to continue, “I…m-my village used me f-for their own personal gain. When they found I h-had my clan’s sacred kekkei genkai they took me from my parents at a very young age. I w-was locked away underground for most of my life, kept in poor conditions and used. I-I managed to escape, and th-they pursued me…I…”   
  
Itachi closed his eyes momentarily in understanding before he moved closer and reached out, arms wrapping around your back as he pulled you to him. He was silent as he held you close, one hand rubbing soothing circles, the other running gentle fingers through your (h/c) locks. “You don’t have to cry…you’re safe now,” he said calmly. You hadn’t even realized you were crying until he mentioned something. Sticky, hot tears fell down your (s/c) cheeks and dampened his cloak. Your small sobs filled the silent room as Itachi comforted you, a feeling of guilt laying deep within his stomach. He hadn’t thought bringing up the past would shake you so badly. It made him wonder exactly what you’d went through, and he found himself feeling the need to know so he could get back at them for their actions. He shrugged it off, focusing on you as he reminded himself that you weren’t Izumi.   
  
He couldn’t do such a thing without being questioned considering the organization he was in, and he knew it’d affect his image amongst the others. This was something you’d have to eventually come to terms with in order to grow strong by yourself. Whether you confronted the past was up to you, but he knew it’d be best to stay out of it. Unless you asked for his assistance in doing something about the Hidden Grass had treated you, he vowed to distance himself from the issue. You two remained like this till you pulled away, wiping at your now swollen eyes. “Thank you…Itachi-kun,” you sniffed as you sat beside him, his hand still pressed against your back.   
“Why are you thanking me?” he asked with a quirked eyebrow, confusion clear in his gaze.  
“I…I needed that. Discussing it…helps,” you admitted reluctantly.   
“If you need to speak about such a topic again, confide in me. I am here for you as a teammate,” he assured. “Now…I believe it is time to take my leave.”  
  
The Uchiha let his hand fall from your back before standing slowly. He closed his eyes for a moment before looking to you with onyx orbs that shined slightly in the dimly lit room. They remained on you for a few moment before he said, “Good night, (y/n),” he said in that calming tone of his that soothed all your reopened scars, stitching them up and putting your mind at ease. “I shall see you in the morning.” You were silent as he turned away, taking a step towards the door. Your hand shot out, grasping his ebony cloak and making him halt. He glanced at you from over his shoulder, locking eyes on yours. “T-Tomorrow night…same time?” you managed to get out as you found it hard to focus under his intimidating gaze. He said nothing, only closed his eyes in response. Your lips pulled back to a smile at this action of his, having caught onto him quickly in his actions and responses. “I shall see you in the morning then…good night Itachi-kun,” you said releasing him, and he turned away. He continued towards the door with a smile gracing his lips.  
  
\--  
  
The nightly meetings between the two became something they both ended up looking forward to after long days of training, or after he’d return from missions. Unfortunately, the two found that they couldn’t always meet every night since Leader-sama held you back from missions till the other two were certain you’d be capable to hold your own in a fight against strong Jōnin or Anbu from the villages you infiltrated. Although not having the Uchiha’s company made you somewhat sad when he was gone on those missions, you found you could pass the time by having picked up the habit of reading and drinking tea before succumbing to sleep.   
  
Tonight was one of those nights. As you sat comfortably atop your bed, you struggled to focus on your book. You felt lonesome. Itachi had been gone for quite some time now, and you were finding yourself missing your companion and longing for his presence. You squinted in an attempt to concentrate on your reading material, but you simply found it impossible. You were much too restless. With a tinge of annoyance, you rose from your comfortable position, grabbing your cloak and throwing it on. You slipped from your room silently, deciding to head out for some fresh air. This wasn’t the first time you’d done such a thing, having been here for this long, you were trusted enough not to stray far. It wasn’t like you had anywhere to go other than return here, and you had a feeling they knew you’d stay due to how close Itachi, and yourself had grown.  
  
Your cloak did little to help protect you from the chilly breeze of the night as you sat in the spot you normally found yourself drawn to when you grew restless enough to step out of the base without the accompaniment of your comrades. The grass tickled your toes as you felt the cool surface of the rock through your clothes that you sat upon. Your gaze was drawn to the sky, the light of the moon and stars providing just enough light to see somewhat clearly, the shadows and darkness the only thing obscuring it. A smile crept upon your face as a sensation of relaxation overtook you. This was disrupted as a voice spoke, shaking you from your trance-like state. “Such a beautiful night…is it not?” said that deep, emotionless voice that you’d not heard since you’d first joined the organization.  
“It is indeed,” you said in an even tone, uncertain as to why he was here.  
He was silent for some time before speaking once more, “You had trouble sleeping tonight…didn’t you?”  
“How’d you know?” you asked as you turned to him.  
“You have a tendency to sneak out when you do.”  
“W-Wait…have you been stalking me!?”  
“I prefer to call it observing.”  
“How long?”  
“Since the first time. You seem to do this commonly when Itachi has gone on a mission and is incapable of visiting you.”  
“How…?”  
“It isn’t hard to figure it out considering he departs from his quarters around the same time every night and whenever I pass by your room at night, I hear you two speaking to one another.”  
“Oh…” you said awkwardly as you looked away from the ginger haired male.  
  
The silence resumed between you two, your gaze returning to the sky. You pondered if Itachi was still awake, looking to the same moon as you. Was he having troubles sleeping as well? Was he safe? Did he miss you? These questions would go unanswered until his return if given the chance for you to question him. For now, they were a mystery. A hand upon your shoulder drew you from your thoughts, and your breath caught in your throat as you remembered you were not alone. Your eyes shifted, moving to the right and up, staring at Pein’s face, his Rinnegan resting upon you with an unreadable emotion in their depths. “I do not know much about your life prior to the Akatsuki, (y/n). However, I feel as though I must say this. This is your family now, should you ever feel alone, we are here for you. No matter if the others accept this fact or not, you are welcome here, and I will most certainly make it my duty to ensure you are safe and unharmed,” said the ginger haired man as your cheeks turned a faint pink.  
“Leader-sama…you don’t need to go out of your way to ensure such things. I feel welcomed here after so much time has passed, even if there are some individuals who have….interesting personalities and attitudes. As for my safety, you need not to protect me as I know you are busy, and I’d rather not be considered a burden to you. I can care for myself.”  
“(y/n),” he said as he gently took your chin between his thumb and index finger, holding you in place as he stooped to your level, face mere inches away. “I would never consider you a burden, and I am choosing to keep an eye on you, and I’d never say you are incapable of caring for yourself. There are reasons you cannot fathom as of now as to why I am ensuring your safety. However, all shall be revealed in time…for now, I suggest you return to your room and rest.”  
  
You gave a weak nod, finding your heart pounding at how close he was to you and the intensity of his gaze upon you. After a few moments that felt like forever, he pulled away, fingers losing their grip as his hand fell to his side once more. However, even as he pulled away, your eyes remained locked on each other’s as you found yourself incapable of breaking it. Eventually, you blinked, breaking you from your entranced state, and you looked aside out of embarrassment for staring at him. “Sorry,” you said quickly as you rose and quickly headed back to the base. As you went, you could feel his eyes on you. For what reason, you knew not, however, you found your thoughts lingering back to how close he’d been to you, and you realized your feet were carrying you more swiftly towards your room in an attempt to flee not only from your mind, but from the man that was captivating you right now.


	6. Reconvene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the big break, been busy! Will post weekly from now on hopefully :D

With the return of Itachi and Kisame came the news you’d been awaiting since you first began training. It was only a few hours since they’d returned, and you’d yet to have the opportunity to welcome your teammates back. You’d been getting ready for the day as they’d arrived in the early hours of the morning, and they’d yet to see you. A soft knock at your door drew your attention, and you walked over opening it for whomever was waiting. As soon as you realized who stood before you, you tackled them in a hug. “Itachi-san!” you said happily as he returned the gesture and held you in his arms.  
“(y/n)-chan,” he said as he looked down at you with a softness in his onyx eyes.  
“You’ve finally returned…how was the mission?” you asked stepping away and allowing him to enter.  
“It went well,” he said as he went to sit on your bed as you closed the door.  
  
You made your way over to the bed before sitting beside the Uchiha. A comfortable silence enveloped the room as you studied your hands, finding it hard to look at him. He'd been gone for so long yet here you were incapable of looking at him. What was wrong? Was it because he'd been gone so long it felt awkward now? A hand resting on your arm and pulling you against its owner pulled you from your thoughts. You finally looked up into his dark pools, seeing a small smile on his normally emotionless face. "You know...I thought of you quite often while Kisame and I were away," he said breaking the silence.  
"Y-you did?" you asked in surprise at this.  
He nodded as he said, "Yes...most often at night. I missed your company."  
"You had Kisame though...why not speak with him?"  
"It wouldn't have been the same, and his personality greatly differs from yours. You listen to what I say without interrupting, and you are very understanding and thoughtful in your responses. Kisame wouldn't be anywhere near as enjoyable to converse with," he said making you blush faintly.  
"W-why did you come here? It's not nighttime yet..." you said in an attempt to change the subject.  
"Getting right down to business all of a sudden are we?" he teased earning a sharp look before he continued. "We are going out on another mission tonight, and you are joining us."  
  
Your eyes widened as your jaw dropped slightly. You’d been waiting for this day since you’d been partnered with the two men and now you were finally being allowed out and away from this stuffy base with its many differing members that drove you mad at times. Amusement overcame the Uchiha’s features at your shock. Now you were truly thrown off. Not only were you going out on a mission, but Itachi was once again showing you a side of him he rarely expressed unless alone in your company and that was emotion. “Do you realize how irresistibly adorable you’re acting currently?” inquired the Uchiha curiously.  
“W-Was that a c-compliment?” you stammered.  
“Possibly,” he replied and laughed slightly.  
  
Your eyes widened further at this action. Now he was _laughing_? Today was just full of surprises. You shook your head as you realized his earlier comment has caused your cheeks to turn a faint shade of pink. You avoided his gaze as you spoke, “W-Well…I should pack for the mission.” “You should,” he said, but neither of you made any attempt to depart from each other. Deep down you didn’t want to make the Uchiha leave, and he didn’t want you to make him go. However, you knew that in order to be fully prepared you’d need to leave his side. With much reluctance you pulled away from him and stood. You stepped away from the bed as he rose. “I will be looking forward to seeing you again tonight,” he said after a somewhat long silence, and you nodded. “Until then, (y/n)-chan.” With that he poked your forehead, a small smile on his face as he turned away and exited your room. You stared after him with a frown, hand touching the wounded spot, but you felt a feeling of warmth in your chest at the gesture, and you looked forward to having his company on your first mission.  
  
\--  
  
The mission you found out was to observe the village of Konoha after an incident occurred at the Chuunin exams left part of the village a mess and caused the loss of the Third Hokage. It was also to seek out the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki to determine his progress as well as possibly capture him. However, there seemed to be a personal agenda going on, on Itachi’s part. He seemed to be extremely silent and closed off since the mission began a few days prior and refused to even open up to you. Maybe it was due to Kisame’s presence, but you doubted it. You had a feeling it was due to returning to the place of his origins. Even now as you three stood overlooking the village below, you could tell the Uchiha was having an internal war with himself. “Well it survived, but barely. The damage is extensive,” said Kisame.   
“Not long ago, it was at the height of its glory. Look at it now,” said the Uchiha as he stared out from beneath his conical straw hat, the tassels obscuring his face from view, and his vision just slightly.  
“Hn. You sound almost sad,” observed Kisame who’d also caught the hint of melancholy lacing his voice that had not gone undetected on your part either. “Don’t tell me you still have feelings for your old home?”  
“No, none,” he answered, and you knew it was a lie, but his onyx eyes locked on yours from the corner of his eyes, silencing you.  
  
The accessory on his hat chimed as the Uchiha lifted his head slightly, eyes having returned to overlook the landscape, and you shivered realizing he’d activated his Sharingan. You removed your gaze from him, staring at the village below with mixed feelings. It was clear Itachi still held this village close to his heart, so it puzzled you as to why he’d deserted them. You decided you’d allow him to tell you when he felt the time was right as it was clear he’d known you’d caught onto his lie. What you didn’t know as you stood beside the three men was that this assignment would cause you to uncover many dark secrets about the Uchiha that you’d never known.  
  
\--  
  
The chime of the bells on your hats as you three walked through the misty morning signaled your approach upon the village. It caught the brunette man’s attention that stood guard, and he looked surprised to have travelers arriving to the village at such an early hour. As Kisame and Itachi walked ahead of you and completely disregarded the man, he turned his head and said, “Uh, excuse me?” They stopped in their tracks, you nearly running into your two partners, but managing to avoid them. They didn’t respond to him, Itachi simply turning towards the man and causing his accessory to chime again. The Leaf shinobi stared at him, and you knew it was a mistake upon the poor man’s part. He was caught in Itachi’s genjutsu with just one glance. You watched him sway, groaning, before collapsing.  
  
Kisame started forward again, not even sparing the man a glance, Itachi following, and you trailed after the two men. The chimes of the bells on your hats the only thing keeping you three company as you continued on into the misty morning.  
  
\--  
  
Once you three had managed a successful infiltration into the Hidden Leaf, Itachi took you three to hide in a tree while he observed the area. It was silent between you three as Itachi surveyed the area. Kisame finally spoke after waiting for quite some time. “You know where he is?” he asked. “Yeah,” came the simple reply. “Should be easy, then,” said Kisame. Itachi wasted no time as he replied, “Let’s go.” You had an uneasy feeling as you followed your two partners. You had a bad feeling about this mission, and you worried for not just your own safety, but your partners as well. You swallowed this with much reluctance, deciding to simply follow after them.  
  
\--  
  
You three sat in silence inside a tea shop that Itachi had claimed would make you all less prone to being spotted as you simply observed for now. You were still struggling to keep down the bad feeling you were getting, sipping at the chai tea you’d ordered. The other two men hadn’t touched a drop of theirs, and you were certain they were simply using it as a cover up. However, this cover up didn’t do well to last long as you noticed a silver haired ninja in a Jōnin vest leaning against the wall outside the shop. He appeared to be reading, but you had no doubt he was suspicious of you three. You looked to Kisame and Itachi through the tassels of your hat, and Itachi gave a slight nod, signaling they noticed as well. Suddenly the ninja closed his book, looking over as two others approached. One was another man in a Jōnin vest with black hair and a beard to match, a cigarette hanging loosely between his lips. He was accompanied by a long black haired female with red eyes. You felt slight envy at her beautiful features as she approached with her companion. “Hey guys,” said the silver haired male. He stepped away from the wall, facing them as he continued casually, “You two seem to be getting along.”  
  
The woman looked like she was caught off guard by his observation before looking away as her cheeks became red. “Idiot,” she said. “Anko just asked me to pick up some rice dumplings for her.”  
“What’re you doing here, aside from catching up on your reading?” asked the other Jōnin, and you warily took another sip of tea.  
“Ah…I need to buy something to put on a grave. Plus I’m meeting somebody here,” he said glancing in your direction. “I’m just waiting on Sasuke.”  
  
You noticed Itachi’s finger twitch and gave him a look. _Who is Sasuke?_ you thought, gazing at Itachi with a questioning look. He shot you a glare, making you look away. You knew now wasn’t the time to question him. “Heh,” said the man. “It’s not like you to be waiting on somebody.” Your hand tightened on the cup worriedly. “Is it for Obito?” asked the man as he continued. “Obito?” asked the woman. “Uh yeah, kind of,” answered the silver haired man. Kisame sipped his tea, placing it down on the table. You could feel the silver haired ninja’s gaze on you and it sent shivers up your spine as you struggled to stay calm. Footsteps sounded and a new voice spoke, addressing the man with silver hair, “Kakashi. It’s not like you to show up early. What gives?”  
“Well…sometimes I do,” answered the copy ninja before you three made your leave while their attention was elsewhere.   
  
\--  
  
Your heart was pounding as you followed after Kisame and Itachi along the docks of the village. Their pace wasn’t brisk as you expected it to be after being nearly caught by the Jōnin of the Leaf village. You were still breathless. You’d been mere feet from Kakashi Hatake, the infamous copy ninja and the White Fang’s son. You’d heard many stories of the man when you’d been in the Hidden Grass from the men who’d guard you while you were trapped in that damp old cellar. The stories you heard had been your only source of entertainment for the years you were trapped there, the only other time you’d heard anything had been as a very small child before you were taken away from your family. You balled your hands into fists at the thought of your home village. You couldn’t dwell long though as the men came to a stop, and you halted. You looked to see what had caused them to stop, only to freeze up as you saw the unnamed man and woman from earlier before you. There was an extensive silence before the male Jōnin spoke, “You guys aren’t from around here, are you? What are you doing in this village?”  
Itachi replied calmly, “It’s been a long time, Asuma, Kurenai.”  
“The fact that you know our names must mean that you’re a Shinobi, formerly of this village,” said the man you assumed was Asuma.  
  
There was no response for a short time before Itachi lifted a hand slowly to grasp the edge of his hat. He lifted it, gazing at them, his eyes shadowed beneath it. The bell chimed as it moved, but you knew they’d gotten a clear look at Itachi’s face from the stunned looks he received. “Y-You’re…” breathed Asuma as Itachi removed his hat. The soft clicks of his robe unbuttoning filled the quietness in the air. Asuma slowly smiled, although sweating slightly as he said, “Heh…well, what do you know?” The breeze tugged at the Akatsuki member’s cloaks as he continued, “Itachi. Itachi Uchiha.” You could hardly see his face from where you stood behind him, but you could make out Itachi’s displeasure as the breeze tugged at his black hair. “Are these friends of yours, Itachi?” asked Kisame. “Well then. I suppose I should introduce myself.” Kisame pulled off his hat, dropping it at his side. “Hope we can get acquainted later. The name’s Kisame Hoshigaki.”  
“Why should we wait till later?” asked Asuma. “When I can just wipe the floor with all three of you now. Which speaking of three, who’s your friend in the back?”  
“Our friend doesn’t concern you,” said Itachi sounding irritated as he shot you a glance from over his shoulder as if warning you not to get involved or show your identity.  
“Wow Itachi. It looks like they hate you as much in this village as they do in mine,” said Kisame.   
“We know who you are, Kisame. We’ve heard all about you,” said Kurenai. “You hail from the Village of the Mist. Suspected of espionage and the murder of a feudal lord, you’re a rogue ninja from the Land of Water, wanted in every nation.”  
“You’re a high level S-ranked criminal, listed prominently in the Bingo book,” stated Asuma. “Itachi, I gotta hand it to you, the fact that you’d even show your face in this village, after what you did, it takes some guts.”  
“I’m warning you two,” said Itachi. “You don’t want to interfere with me. It isn’t my desire to kill you.”  
“You know, that’s pretty hilarious, coming from a guy who murdered his own people,” said Asuma. “Now come on, out with it. I know you didn’t come skulking in here, dressed like that for no good reason. What are you after?”  
“Itachi-kun…what’re they talking about?” you whispered in confusion, but you were once again silenced with a glare.  
  
Kisame seemed to have had enough with the talk. He grabbed the handle of Samehada and whipped it out, slamming it into the ground. Dust clouded up making you wince slightly, but keep your guard up. “This guy is getting on my nerves,” stated Kisame. “Can I kill him?” Your eyes widened slightly at how casually Kisame asked such a thing, then again you were working with the Akatsuki, all wanted S-ranked criminals so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. However, with you seeing past this and never being on missions or seeing real battles throughout your whole life, it threw you off a bit. Itachi replied, “Well I guess we’re not going anywhere without a fight. Just try not to overdo it. Your moves tend to stand out. As for you-,” He glanced over his shoulder at you. “Stay behind me at all costs and don’t get involved.” You nodded as Kisame said, “They’re as good as dead.”  
  
He raised Samehada to rest upon his shoulder, a hole with cracks in the ground in place of where he’d slammed his powerful sword down. A stare down began between the ninja, neither side moving at first as they began a small standoff. Itachi threw aside his hat, the chime of the bell from it hitting the ground signaling the first move. Kisame swung, Asuma barely avoiding being hit by the massive blade, before Kisame swung again. This time, Asuma countered with a pair of twin blades he pulled from his side. The woman, Kurenai, jumped back, preforming several hand signs before closing her eyes. Itachi seemed to be observing her, and you noticed his eye suddenly widen slightly with an intense look, and you knew he was using his genjutsu as he’d done in training with you before.  
  
Asuma seemed to be struggling slightly with Kisame, sweat droplets forming on his face as Kisame bore down on him with Samehada. He was being overpowered you could tell, before the blade barely rested on Asuma’s arm. Kisame suddenly grinned, letting out a cry before forcing his blade down, and you gasped as the bandages concealing it tore open. The blade was massive, blue-gray in color and had the appearance of downward facing scales. Asuma cried out through gritted teeth as his arm was torn open, crimson blood flew through the air. “It doesn’t slice, it cuts you to ribbons!” proclaimed Kisame as Asuma gripped his wounded arm. Kisame remained in a low stance, grinning at his opponent. “It’s about time, Kurenai,” said Asuma.   
  
Kisame seen thrown off guard, and you saw him freeze up as if caught by something. _Genjutsu_ , you thought as he looked to his feet and a brown sort of substance formed at his feet. . Itachi looked completely calm as a tree formed behind him and wrapped around him, trapping him. “Alright…let’s end this!” exclaimed Kurenai as she formed from the side of the tree before swinging down at him with a kunai. Itachi smirked up at her, before his gaze returned forward. Kurenai looked shocked, trapped in Itachi’s place as the Uchiha calmly looked at her. “Genjutsu of that level doesn’t work on me,” he stated simply. Itachi pulled a kunai from beneath his sleeve, going to attack her, but she bit her lip in the nick of time and tore herself from the genjutsu reflection he had her under. She evaded his swing, the Uchiha cutting some of her hair, but he was quick to move. She blocked his follow up kick that sent her flying over the railing into the water. She cried out as she landed. “Kurenai!” shouted Asuma.  
“I wouldn’t be looking over there, if I were you,” advised Kisame.  
“You live up to your reputation,” stated Itachi who stood on the water behind Kurenai who was crouched down, her eyes wide as she looked up at him from her vulnerable position. “However…”  
“However, this is the end of the line,” said a new voice, and your eyes widened at the ninja who stood behind Itachi. “For you anyway.”  
  
Kisame began a barrage of attack on Asuma. He kept swinging Samehada, forcing Asuma to focus on him and avoid him at all costs. You knew he was trying to keep him separate from the fight. Suddenly, Asuma swung, trying to catch Kisame off guard. He appeared to have missed, but you were just as shocked as Kisame as blood appeared from a wound on his cheek. “What!?” said Kisame, eyes somewhat blood shot. It took a few moments before you heard the soft hum, noticing his blades. _Chakra infused blades_ , you thought, gritting your teeth. Kisame looked annoyed as he quickly formed hand signs in an attempt to retaliate. “Water Style: Water Shark Bomb Jutsu!” he shouted at the same time the new arrival did. The two attacks collided in a spray of water. You gasped, covering your face with an arm, water spraying everywhere, soaking you. “He took up the same jutsu I did!” exclaimed Kisame as the two jutsus ended. “Not that I’m unhappy to see you, but what are you doing here?” asked Asuma.  
“Well you know,” said the ninja. “I asked you to take care of these three earlier, but I guess I got a little worried.”  
Kurenai looked surprised and then said with realization, “A shadow clone.”  
“Kakashi,” said Itachi looking over his shoulder at the copy ninja. “It’s you.”


	7. Enimty

“Okay. Talk,” said Kakashi, his kunai threateningly close to Itachi’s throat. “What’s a rogue ninja like you doing in the village?”  
“Kakashi Hatake,” said Itachi, ignoring his question as he turned to face Kakashi.  
  
You watched nervously as the standoff intensified between the men who glared at each other. Kisame grinned as he eyed the Sharingan Kakashi possessed. “Well, well, what a surprise. That’s how you copied my jutsu,” he said. “So there really is someone besides Itachi with those crazy eyes. You’re Kakashi, aren’t you? The copy ninja.” “You can imagine my surprise. I go to check out a couple of lowlife vagabonds in a tea house, and I find none other than two S-ranked criminals and an unidentified companion accompanying them,” said Kakashi, eye moving from Kisame to rest on you. His gaze alone made you shiver slightly as you could feel the power he possessed in his intense gaze. He wasn’t Itachi, he wouldn’t hesitate to use his Sharingan on you, and you shuddered inwardly at the thought. “How about that, you know who we are don’t you?” said Kisame drawing his attention again.  
“Itachi Uchiha formerly of the Leaf, and Kisame formerly of the Hidden Mist village.”  
“You _do_ know us. Well, I am honored.”  
“I assume that bizarre excuse for a sword is one of the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist? The one called Samehada, or Shark Skin?”  
Kisame chuckled before saying, “I heard that you and Zabuza had it out a while back.”  
“Yes,” answered Kakashi as he reached behind his back. “We did.”  
  
Kisame’s eyes widened showing off their bloodshot appearance. He lifted Samehada into the air and pointed it in Kakashi’s direction. “I’d love to cut you into ribbons,” said the swordsman. “Kisame. Stop it,” interjected Itachi from where he stood on the water. This drew the attention of Kisame and Asuma, both turning towards the Uchiha with surprised looks. “Hm?” said Asuma in confusion which mirrored your own. Kurenai gasped slightly at Itachi’s interruption before Itachi explained, “If you take this man on, it won’t be without cost,” he said, gaze travelling to you before resting on Kisame. “Furthermore, it will take time, and the commotion is liable to bring more Shinobi running. Your way is inefficient, and unnecessarily risky. Don’t lose sight of our goal.” “Let’s hear it,” said Kakashi. “What is your goal, exactly?” The Kakashi that stood near Kisame poofed away in a cloud of smoke, proving your assumption that the one near Itachi was a shadow clone, was wrong.   
Itachi turned to Kakashi and said, “We’re looking for something and we know it’s here.”  
“And what would that be?” he asked as he raised his kunai. “What is this thing you’re looking for?”  
Itachi ignored his threat and said, “My way is more efficient than Kisame’s.”  
  
In that small exchange, the battle began, their eyes narrowing as Itachi’s hand protruded from his sleeve revealing several throwing stars. Kakashi was quick to make space between them, leaping backwards as he formed hand signs and said, “Ninja Art, Water Style: Water Wall!” Water formed around him swiftly as Kurenai flinched and Itachi eyed him carefully, the water receding. You made note of his Itachi hadn’t used hand signs of attack the copy ninja, using the throwing stars as a distraction. “You’re good,” praised Itachi. “You almost anticipated my moves.” Your eyes widened as a shadow clone of Itachi was suddenly behind Kakashi, stabbing him in the back. Kurenai looked shocked, and she said what you were thinking, “A shadow clone! His speed is too great.” However, the fight was far from finished as Kakashi collapsed into water making Kisame look thrown off. _A water clone_ , you thought worriedly. Then the blue-haired ninja grinned, almost enjoying watching the fight they were displaying. “Itachi!” you said noticing the copy ninja moving beneath the water. He nodded, looking down as Kakashi handed Kurenai and kunai. “Nice job, Kakashi!” she said only to look shocked as he tackled her in an attempt to get her away from the Akatsuki member. “Get back, Kurenai! That one’s the shadow clone,” exclaimed Kakashi before the water erupted.   
“Kakashi!” shouted Asuma. “Kurenai!”  
  
The remaining Leaf ninja lept into the air, launching himself into the water. As it came crashing down, slowly settling, you were once again drenched. The water coming down like rain as you struggled to see. You spotted the three Leaf ninja on the water, Kakashi looking ruffled up by the explosion from Itachi’s clone. “Are you alright?” asked Kurenai before noticing the Uchiha standing a few feet behind Kakashi. The copy ninja was quick to turn towards his opponent as he said, “Stay on your toes. This guy was made chief of the ANBU Black Ops when he was only thirteen.” Instantly the other two got into a stance. “Alright, he’s tough,” said Asuma. “We get it.” Kakashi let out a dry laugh,” Tough? You haven’t seen half of what he can do.”  
“For someone who is not of the Uchiha clan, you have mastered the Sharingan well. However,” said Itachi. “Not being one of us, you lack our physical strength and that’s something you can’t copy.”  
Kakashi seemed to sweat at Itachi’s words as he continued, “Why is it that the Uchiha clan is known by all, and feared by all?”  
  
The wind seemed to pick up as the trees rustled and a chill ran down your spine. You knew where this was going from Itachi’s speak and extreme coolness in spite of being in the midst of a battle. From learning his personality and how he acted, the simply stance of complete and utter calm in battle meant only one thing. As he spoke, this confirmed your suspicions. “I’ll show you what the Sharingan can do when it’s wielded by a true heir of the bloodline.” As the Uchiha’s eye slowly opened, Kakashi looked panicked as he figured it out too. “Oh no! Close your eyes!” he shouted. “Don’t look in his eyes!” The other two looked startled by his outburst before quickly shutting them. Kakashi shut his one, the eye of the Sharingan he possessed still open. “Listen, both of you. Whatever happens, don’t look,” said Kakashi. “If you meet his gaze, you’re finished. I’m going to have to do this alone. My Sharingan against his.”  
“Indeed, your abilities are impressive. They might even be enough to resist the Mangekyō Sharingan. However, there is something they can’t defend against,” said Itachi. “This special Sharingan jutsu called Tsukuyomi.  Only someone with the Sharingan and Kekkei Genkai can defeat me.”  
  
The next moment, Kakashi’s eye widened as the Tsukuyomi began, and you knew it was over. Itachi had complete control over the Tsukuyomi, he’d told you all about it one night during a conversation you two had participated in about your Kekkei Genkai’s and the abilities they possessed. So when a moment later Kakashi looked extremely weak and barely able to stand, breath coming in gasps you were surprised. You thought he’d be either completely broken by now or dead. Suddenly, the copy ninja collapsed in the water on his hands and knees. “Kakashi? What is it?” asked Kurenai out of concern. “Can we open our eyes now?”  
“No. Not yet,” he said weakly as he huffed.  
“What just happened? One second the guy’s talking, and the next second you hit the ground,” said Asuma.   
  
Kakashi slowly moved to rest in a crouching position, eyeing Itachi as he breathed hard. Kisame was suddenly beside Itachi, landing perfectly upon the water. “Hm. After all that, the fool’s spirit is still intact,” said Kisame. “Meanwhile, you risked overusing those eyes of yours. You know that dangerous, aren’t I right?” He glanced in your direction and earned a nod from you. It did concern you with him using such a jutsu when he’d not gotten any healing since before his previous mission to repair them so you knew not the extent of how poor his sight had become again. You watched the Uchiha intensely, seeing his eyes wincing slightly as he struggled to maintain his composure. “This thing you’ve come for…” said Kakashi. “Is it Sasuke?” That name again. Who was this Sasuke? What was his relationship to Itachi? You frowned as the Uchiha’s eyes narrowed. “No,” he said coldly. “The legacy of the Fourth Hokage.” This earned gasps from the other two Jōnin.   
“What’s he talking about? What’s he after?” asked Kurenai.  
The wind blew and Itachi brushed his hair aside with a hand. His crimson eyes remained fixated on Kakashi who looked to be concerned regardless of his pain. Sweat rolled down his face as he tried to keep a leveled gaze with the Akatsuki member. “The Nine-Tailed spirit inside Naruto,” said Kakashi. “That’s what you’re after? You’re not the only ones, are you? There are seven more of you…eight with your companion over there out there, searching. Hunting. I know all about you. You call yourselves the Akatsuki, right?” Itachi had a vague look of surprise at this proclamation as did Kisame who didn’t looked pleased, and you yourself weren’t happy about this. A feeling deep in the pit of your stomach came making you want to vomit. He knew who you three were which complicated things greatly. “Akatsuki?” asked Asuma, him and Kurenai looking to Kakashi.   
“Kisame, we’ll take Kakashi with us, but we don’t need the others,” said Itachi. “Get rid of them.”  
  
Kisame wasted no time, rushing them instantly. Suddenly a wall of water came up and a new voice shouted, “Severe Leaf Hurricane!” A man in green kicked Kisame away from them as he defended the other Jōnin. Kisame flew backwards, skidding to a halt on the water as the man in green landed. Itachi looked unimpressed with the new intrusion clearly unhappy. Kisame was also displeased as he said, “Well, who have we here?” However, he grinned clearly excited for a new challenger. “The Leaf village’s fiercest beast of battle. I’m Might Guy,” said the man flashing a grin, and you inwardly groaned. This guy’s ego was ridiculously big. “You’re Might Guy, huh? Mighty stupid looking Guy,” scoffed Kisame standing tall. “Don’t underestimate him,” said Itachi. Kakashi collapsed then, sinking into the water and drawing Guy’s attention. He walked over, picking him up and throwing him over his shoulder.  
“Oh, what they must’ve put him through,” said Guy lowly.  
“Close your eyes. Don’t look at Itachi,” warned Asuma. “You’ll get caught in his jutsu.”  
“Relax. I know what I’m doing,” said Guy. “After spending this much time training to fight Kakashi, I know all about Sharingan. Alright, both of you, open your eyes, now.”  
“But, if we-,” started Kurenai.   
“Don’t worry, just don’t look in his eyes,” assured Guy. “That’s the key to fighting an opponent who’s using Sharingan. Focus on his feet. You can read what he’s going to do from his feet.”  
“Alright, but that trick sounds a lot easier said than done,” said Kurenai opening her red orbs.   
“We haven’t had all your training,” reminded Asuma. “We’re not you, Guy.”  
“True. It takes skill to anticipate an opponent’s moves merely from watching his feet, but I don’t have time to teach you now. You’ll just have to do your best.”  
“So what do we do?” asked Asuma.  
“Kurenai, get Kakashi to the Medical Corp. Asuma, you’ll be my backup,” said Guy as Asuma nodded with an affirmative, ‘Got it’. “Alright. I sent word from the ANBU Black Ops, but until they get here, we hold them off. Just you and me.”  
“Interesting,” said Kisame. “I’ll give you credit for guts.”  
“No, Kisame. We’re pulling out,” said Itachi. “We’re not here to fight a full scale battle. Tempting as it may be, it’s not the way to do this. Besides, we aren’t the only two in our cell don’t forget. Let’s go.”  
“That’s too bad,” said Kisame. “It was just getting fun. They don’t know how lucky they are.”  
  
The next second your teammates vanished from view, and the scenery followed the next. You gasped, eyes wide as you realized a certain someone had picked you up in their arms and was travelling with you in hand. No words were exchanged between you two, but a simple look was enough to exchange all the mixed emotions you both felt about not only the mission and run in with the Leaf Shinobi, but each other at the current time. You knew he was hiding things as he set you down in the alley they’d retreated to. He closed his eyes as you gazed at him, as if silently saying he’d talk to you later in private. For now, you turned to Kisame who nodded, grinning toothily. You gave a small sigh. “Let me see your eyes, Itachi. Then, we can complete the mission,” you sighed.


	8. Odium

You were silent as you watched your raven haired companion knock on the door. Muffled yelling followed as Itachi impatiently repeated the action. “Okay, hold on. Let me just unlock it!” said the boy behind the door before it creaked open to reveal the blond and blue eyed Jinchuuriki in an orange jacket. He looked genuinely confused and surprised at the sight of Itachi as his shadow loomed over the young child. You noticed he was sweating slightly, incapable of looking away from the Uchiha’s crimson eyes. A gasp came from the boy before he gritted his teeth. “Hmph, hard to believe that such a child carries the Nine-Tailed Fox,” said Kisame stepping into the doorway beside Itachi.   
“Naruto, you’re coming with us,” said Itachi as the boy balled up his fists.  
“Itachi,” you whispered and the Uchiha caught that look in your eyes from just one glance before he focused once more on Naruto.  
“Why don’t we take a walk?” suggested Itachi in an attempt to calm the boy.  
  
Naruto hesitated before stepping out into the hallway. You noticed how you three were much taller than the boy who was less than five feet tall. Kisame eyed the boy, a look in his eyes that you didn’t like all too much. “Hey Itachi,” he started. “It’ll be a pain in the neck if this kid makes a run for it. Maybe I ought to chop off a leg, just in case?” Naruto tensed, a sharp intake of air audible at the suggestion the former Swordsman of the Mist made. Itachi remained silent as Kisame started for him saying, “Right.”   
“Kisame, no!” you hissed from a few paces behind both men as you stood a way further down the hallway.  
Itachi’s voice stopped Kisame in his tracks, “It’s been a long time…”  
  
Kisame looked over his shoulder, hand resting on Samehada’s handle. The Uchiha didn’t even move as he finished speaking. “…Sasuke.” It was then that you sensed the presence a little ways behind you. You turned as the newcomer said, “Itachi Uchiha.” It was a boy around Naruto’s age with spiky black hair that partially surrounded his face. He has pale skin and onyx eyes similar to Itachi. He wore a high collar black one piece outfit with small belts adorning his left arm and similar ones running along his legs. You heard Naruto’s voice faintly say your partner’s name again as you remained fixated on the newcomer from beneath your straw hat. You noticed the boy’s eyes change and confirmed your suspicions as the air grew extremely tense. “Well, the Sharingan. And he looks an awful lot like you. Itachi, who is this kid?” asked Kisame.  
“He’s my younger brother,” confirmed Itachi.  
“That’s strange, because the way I heard it, the whole clan was wiped out…” said Kisame with a pause. “…by you.”  
“Itachi Uchiha, I hope you’re ready to die,” said Sasuke with a murderous look in his eyes. “It’s just as you said, brother. I’ve fostered my hatred for you all this time. I’ve lived my life for one single purpose-,” His hand lit up with lightning that illuminated his face and the hallway, casting shadows. “To see you die! It ends here!”  
“Sasuke!” cried Naruto.  
“Chidori?” asked Itachi with a small peek in interest.   
“Enough! You’re dead!” he shouted as he prepared to launch himself forward.  
“No! Leave Itachi be!” you cried which gained his full attention as you stepped in the way, arms outstretched. “I will not allow you to touch him!”  
“Then I’ll cut you down to get to him!” he shouted as he slammed his hand into the wall making it crumbled slightly under the power of the lightning jutsu he held.  
“No!” you heard Itachi faintly shout as you remained focused on the young Uchiha.  
“Die!” shouted Sasuke as you shut your eyes, hearing his footsteps and preparing for an explosion of pain to rip through you.  
  
It never came. Instead, there was the sound of an explosion and the feeling of fresh air and rubble spraying across your skin. You gasped slightly as you dared open your eyes only to have your vision obscured by the dust from the explosion. As it cleared you gasped again. Itachi stood directly in front of you with his hand tightly grasping Sasuke’s wrist. His eyes slowly moved from the young Uchiha to you, eyes filled with anger at your actions as well as concern and something else in their depths. “You careless  _baka_ , do not allow your childish emotions to make you so eager to throw away your precious life,” he scolded before focusing again on Sasuke.  
  
The boy eyed his elder brother. He gritted his teeth, clearly frustrated as his Sharingan glowed with rage. Silence filled the hallway as Sasuke’s Chidori faded. Itachi’s grip tightened on the boy’s wrist making him cry out in anguish. The sound of hands clapping drew your attention, and you cast a glance behind you. Your (e/c) eyes dilated and the whites of them became more visible. A ring of orange chakra surrounded Naruto which frightened you as you felt a darkness within it. “Ah, the air is ripe with chakra,” mused Kisame. “This must be it, the power of the Nine-Tails.”  
“Enough,” said Itachi before the sound of Sasuke’s bone breaking filled your ears followed by his screams as he fell in a heap on the floor.  
“Sasuke!” Naruto shouted. “Alright that’s it. Ninja Art Summoning-,”  
“Too slow,” said Kisame as he slashed through the jinchuuriki’s chakra, Samehada stealing it away.   
“Damn it, Damn it! What the hell is going on!?” cried Naruto in frustration.  
“Sorry, kid,” said Kisame. “My blade, Samehada, cuts through chakra and devours it. We don’t need the hassle of this kid whipping out anymore jutsus. Forget the legs. Maybe I ought to start with those arms of his.”  
  
Naruto continued to try using his chakra. “You’re wasting your time,” he continued as he raised Samehada, preparing to bring it down on him. As he did so, a puff of smoke engulfed the hallway making it hard to see once again. You struggled to see through the smoke, eyes squinting in a desperate attempt to do so as a clang sounded. “What the-?” you and Kisame said in unison before the smoke cleared and revealed a large toad blocking his attack. Another puff of smoke came from behind Naruto as a new voice spoke up, “You three don’t know me at all, do you? Should have done your homework. Jiraiya, the Toad Sage falls victim to no woman’s charm. Rare beauty is dropped for me like blossoms in a storm. It isn’t in my nature to be duped by the wiles of woman. When you reach the stature I have, the ladies kneel and worship at your awesomeness!”  
  
You inwardly groaned. Great, another person who was just as weird as that Guy person from earlier. Not only that, he seemed perverted as you noticed him staring at you. This day was just getting better and better. “Ah don’t give me that!” shouted Naruto. “One wink from a pretty girl, and you turned into a mountain of mush! You fell for it like a ton of bricks, Pervy Sage!” “I really wish you wouldn’t call me that in front of other people…especially pretty women,” he sighed eyes moving down to your chest to try to get a peek, and you hissed in disgust.  
“Pervert…” you muttered as you felt relief that your cloak was zipped as high as Itachi’s was.  
“Are you kidding me!?” shrieked Naruto gaining Jiraiya’s attention. “We’ve got worse things to worry about than what these three think of you! Get with it, Pervy Sage!”  
“Didn’t I just ask you not to call me that!?” cried Jiraiya.  
  
You pinched the bridge of your nose in annoyance. It seemed these two were just itching to test your patience which was lacking just like Sasori’s was. Not only that, but these two screaming and arguing was beginning to give you a headache. Kisame chuckled before saying, “Whatever name you go by, Master Jiraiya, I must say, you’re something of a disappointment. A lecherous old man with the disposition of a child. It’s almost impossible to believe that you are one of the Legendary Sannin.”   
“What!?” shrieked Naruto. “You- you already know who he is?”  
“Uh, don’t be fooled by appearances, or, you know, anything this little squirt might say,” stammered Jiraiya before forcing a chuckle at the end.  
“So you somehow managed to release the genjutsu we cast on her, eh?” said Kisame.  
Jiraiya set the woman on his shoulder down as he spoke, “What kind of coward would do something like that? Using his Sharingan to inflict an illusion jutsu on an innocent woman, all in order to separate Naruto from me. I know that he’s the one you’re really after.”  
“That explains how Kakashi knew,” said Itachi. “Now I understand. He learned it  _from you._  You’re right. Naruto is the prize that the Akatsuki are after. And we  _will_  have him.”  
  
A cloud of smoke appeared around Jiraiya’s toad summon as it disappeared along with the cloud of smoke. “No way you’re getting Naruto,” said Jiraiya. “We’ll see about that,” replied Itachi. Your fists balled up, the tension was so high in the air it was making you restless. This was bad. You three were facing one of the Legendary Sannin, and you were still far from being as strong as Kisame and Itachi. You were simply support for the men, and they knew this all too well. If anything happened, they’d need to worry over protecting you as well now. It wasn’t just them anymore, and they hid their concern of having to deal with protecting their newest member too. “Actually, this is all very convenient,” said Jiraiya. “I can eliminate all three of you at the same time.” “Stay out of this…” said Sasuke weakly making Naruto and Jiraiya look surprised as Sasuke weakly got to his feet. “The only one who’s going to eliminate him…” Itachi, Kisame, and you looked back at Sasuke. “… _is me!_ ”   
  
Sasuke’s breathing was coming in gasps as he glared at Itachi. The elder Uchiha couldn’t be bother, his eyes showing he had no care for his sibling at the moment as he wasn’t his main concern right now. “Go away,” said Itachi firmly. “You don’t interest me at the moment.” Sasuke wasn’t having any of it, hand balling up in a fist as he shouted, “Well, get interested!” The young boy ran at him, going in for a swing, but Itachi was quicker. He turned swiftly, kicking Sasuke in the stomach. He went flying down the hallway, back hitting the wall at the very end as he let out a pained noise before slumping over. “Sasuke, no!” shouted Naruto. “Damn you lousy-“   
“No, Naruto!” ordered Sasuke. “Don’t butt in! Mind your own business.” The blond stopped in his tracks as Sasuke rose again. “I told you before, I’ve lived my whole life for this day, this moment. This fight is mine!”  
  
You could see the undying hatred in Sasuke’s eyes as the tomoe in his red eyes swirled a little. You didn’t know what was driving the boy to push himself so far to try to kill Itachi. He was way below Itachi’s level of strength, yet he was relentless. Then it hit you, the Uchiha Massacre. This boy…he must have lost his parents somehow. You watched Sasuke rush at Itachi once more and tried to land a hit, but Itachi was quick to counter once again, simply brushing off his attack before being back handed by the elder brother. Blood flew through the air as he was knocked away again with ease and once again careened into the wall at the end of the hallway. He slumped forward as Naruto spoke the young boy’s name with clear concern in his eyes. The raven haired child grunted in pain, muttering, “Not finished.” Itachi looked emotionlessly at him which made you ponder what he could be thinking and why he seemed to care so little of his own blood. Then again, this was the same man who’d killed his own clan leaving just his younger sibling it seemed, but he also was sweet and caring towards you as well as protective it seemed since he’d saved you from Sasuke’s attack. “This fight…is mine,” Sasuke said as Itachi’s gaze hardened and became colder.  
“So be it,” he said.  
Jiraiya went to move forward at this proclamation, obviously going to step in, but Kisame intervened as he said, “You heard him, old man. This fight is none of our business. Let’s let the two of them sort it out.”  
Itachi started down the hall towards Sasuke, and you couldn’t help but speak, “Itachi…don’t do this.”  
  
He ignored you as he continued on, clearly not willing to listen to anyone as he went to give his brother what he asked for. You helplessly watched him near the boy before stopping before him. Sasuke lifted his head, blood coming from the corner of his lips as he shot Itachi a defiant glare. He stared down at Sasuke, before Sasuke stood as he shouted, “And now finally-“ He didn’t get to finish as he was punched in the gut by Itachi who gave no indication he cared that he was causing the boy such pain as he cough up blood. He followed up by a hard elbow to the back of his neck and a knee to the stomach. Several more blows followed before Itachi punched him in the gut again making him spit up more blood. You could hardly watch, the fight reminding you all too much of that dark cellar where you’d been beaten when you wouldn’t comply or were too weak to do as they commanded. You shivered at how cold Itachi seemed, so different from the man you knew. “You show him no mercy,” commented Kisame as Sasuke fell to the floor. His closed his eyes looking ready to give up, hair falling over his face. You hardly registered the rest of the scene that was unfolding. Itachi leaning down and grabbing his younger brother up by the high-collar of his outfit and slamming him against the wall. “You’re still too weak,” said Itachi coldly.  
“Itachi…” you whispered as your body shook more.  
“You don’t have enough hate,” he continued, not hearing you. “And you know something? You never will…”  
  
You didn’t register any more as your hand gripped the fabric of your cloak. Your breathing was uneven as you began to sweat and panic. You could hear them, your captors again. You could smell the scent of mildew and feces that hung heavy in the air with the underlying smell of blood. As the world around you began to spin and mesh in a wave of color you were faintly aware of someone holding you and black strands of hair crossing your gaze. You could hear your name being called, but you couldn’t reply as you saw a pair of red eyes looking down at you.  _Itachi_ …, you thought before the world faded away into darkness.  
  
\--  
  
“So we just run away again? We do a lot of that,” growled Kisame.  
“There’s no rush for now. We’ll get Naruto when the time is right,” said Itachi. “Besides, I felt it wise for us to find some place to rest for a while and recharge my powers. We also need to give (y/n) a break…”  
  
Kisame didn’t reply as they continued to travel over the water. Having used Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu in such a short time period had taken a toll on Itachi, and he decided to revert his eyes back to their original coal color. He closed his eyes momentarily before reopening them and looking down at (y/n). It was his fault she was like this, he was certain. He’d overdone it by giving Sasuke the fight he’d asked for and with her witnessing him abusing his sibling, it must have triggered her panic attack with memories of her past in the Hidden Grass. He studied her face, lips parted slightly as she lay unconscious in his arms. She looked so peaceful and it caused a slight smile to form on his face. Although he felt guilt over putting her in this position, he silently admired the girl's looks and strength as he continued forward, before he focused ahead once more. He couldn't help but feel slightly bothered about an earlier event before he'd decided to fight his young sibling. When Sasuke had first show up and gone to attack him, (y/n) had so willingly protected him without hesitation, nearly dying if he'd not intervened so swiftly. Why would she do such a thing for someone like him? Someone who'd kept things from her. Someone who had slaughtered his own flesh and blood. Someone who would harm his younger brother without a single hint of remorse. "Heh, what's with that expression, Itachi? You seem troubled...could it be you're worried for your  _precious_  teammate?" inquired Kisame as he grinned mischievously.  
"If you believe I have interest in (y/n), you are mistaken," replied Itachi curtly.  
"Good thing, because it seems Leader has something in mind for her," said Kisame which made Itachi slightly intrigued, but he forced himself to remain emotionless.  
"Oh?" he said flatly. "How so?"  
"I can't say, but he seems to be keeping a close eye on her. It's probably just him ensuring she is progressing well. Anyways, where will we be stopping?" asked Kisame.  
"The next small village we see," replied Itachi, but his mind was elsewhere.  
  
What did Kisame mean by Leader-sama was keeping his eye on (y/n)? And if he was...why did he need to do so? It seemed the more the Uchiha learned that pertained to her, the more questions rose and the fewer answers he received.


	9. Phenomenon

It was a rare occurrence that the Akatsuki were given time to actually rest all together and recuperate from the countless missions they were sent out on. So when it did happen, it meant a special occasion was in order. You were leaning against the wall of the main area where several other members had gathered. You surveyed the room with a blank stare. Kakuzu was as usual seated in a chair at the table to the far left, a bag of money on the table as he counted it. Hidan was seated across from him, chair leaning back against the wall as his feet rested atop the table. His scythe was leaning against the wall beside him as he rested, hands behind his head and eyes closed peacefully as he was deciding not to be obnoxious for once. To your right, Itachi was seated in his usual spot on the couch reading his book with a plate of dango on the table nearby. Sitting beside him was your other partner, Kisame, who was looking bored.   
  
The comfortable silence in the main room was quickly ruined however, as a pair of bickering artists made their way down the hall. You closed your eyes as the two men neared, the younger’s voice much louder and more earsplitting than the other’s much calmer, but still slightly louder than normal and clearly laced with annoyance and frustration. “Listen my man, I know you’re all about how art should be eternal and all, but you’re wrong! True art is the beauty of an explosion and the mere seconds that pass when it occurs, un,” explained the blond loudly as he entered with a certain red haired man at his side.  
“You brat, your so called ‘art’ is idiotic. There is nothing magnificent about a stupid explosion,” scolded Sasori as the young terrorist collapsed on the couch beside Kisame who shot him a glare.  
“And a  _puppet_  is artistic? Something that will last a lifetime only to be forgotten and left to rot away and collect dust is art to you, un? Danna, you need to rethink that,” sighed Deidara.  
“Why you brat…” started Sasori, but you caught his wrist before he could make a move towards the youngest member.  
“Sasori,” you warned and his taupe eyes narrowed at you before he relaxed. “We finally have time to relax, let’s not spend it arguing amongst ourselves.”  
“You’re right,” he said after a few moments, caving in as he remained beside you and looked around the room.  
“Which brings us to  _why_  we aren’t out right now…” you said. “Why won’t Leader-sama send us out? Is there something going on?”  
“Yes, there actually is,” said a new voice and the remaining members poured into the room with Pein being the last of them who’d been the one to speak. “(Y/n), come here.”  
  
Your eyebrow raised in questioning as you eyed your leader. You glanced around the group who gave encouraging looks. You pushed off the wall, walking towards him. He held out his hand and ordered, “Give me your left hand.” You hesitated before obeying. His left hand slipped into his cloak before producing a slate blue ring. He slid it upon your left little finger before releasing your hand. You looked at it in surprise, the small black engraving reading ‘空’, ‘sky, or void’. You looked back up at the ginger haired male, eyes wide. “Y-You can’t be s-serious…” you stammered. “I am,” he said simply. “You are now a full-fledged member of the Akatsuki, (y/n). Congratulations.”   
“Congratulations, (y/n)-chan!” exclaimed Tobi who tackled you into a hug and nearly made you topple over.  
“Tobi, get off her, yeah?” said Deidara in annoyance as he got off the couch and went over to pry the masked man off. “You’re going to suffocate her!”  
“Tobi is sorry sempai!” said Tobi as he released you.  
“Sure you are,” muttered the blond before giving you a cheerful smile. “Congratulations, (y/n). I’ll have to take you out to dinner to celebrate.”  
“Like she’d go out with your dumb ass to dinner, she’s going to go with me!” said a loud voice whose owner slung an arm over your shoulders making you kind of irritated.  
“Like she’d go with you, Hidan! She’d rather go with a real gentleman, yeah?” argued Deidara as he nudged the man away and grabbed you in a hug.  
“Uhm guys…” you stammered as Hidan pulled him off and the two began to bicker.  
“Ugh those two are such idiots…” sighed Sasori who moved to stand beside you, a faint hint of a smile on his lips as he looked to you. “Congrats, brat.”  
“Thank you, Sasori,” you said with a smile as Konan dealt with Deidara and Hidan.  
“Finally one of us officially, eh, (y/n)?” said Kisame with a grin who was accompanied by Kakuzu and Zetsu.  
“I guess so…” you said as they gave you encouraging pats on the back, giving congratulations. “Thank you guys!”  
  
Kakuzu went to return to his money as Konan gave you an approving nod from where she was hitting Hidan over the head as he shouted profanities at the woman. You stifled laughter as Zetsu watched in amusement, and your eyes moved to Deidara who was trying to pry Tobi off him while Sasori rolled his eyes at the two. Kisame had seated across from Kakuzu and successfully stolen Hidan’s chair and was grinning at the scene unfolding before him. You felt your happiness slowly dissipate as you realized the one person you wished to congratulate you most and celebrate with hadn’t said a thing to you. A slight frown appeared on your face as you surveyed the room for the Uchiha, but you found he was nowhere to be seen. Your thoughts were dragged away from your missing partner as a hand grabbed your shoulder. You jumped slightly before turning to see who it was; (e/c) eyes meeting the rippling purple eyes of the Rinnegan. "Come with me," was all he said before releasing you and walking away without sparing a glance to see if you'd obey him. You sighed knowing full well you had no choice and hurried after him. The disappearance of you both did not go unnoticed, as a blue haired female and masked man observed the small interaction with interest, but they chose to keep their emotions shielded away and act as if nothing had changed as they continued on with their actions.  
  
\--  
  
Spending time with someone like him wasn't exactly what you'd been expecting to do after you'd become a full member of the Akatsuki, but life has a way of being full of surprises. You dared glance at your Leader in an attempt to sneak a peek at his face and possibly catch some emotion in it for once. The man was leaning against a tree only a few feet from you as he watched the lake water ripple and move. He'd decided to take you to a place a bit farther from the base that he rarely visited to clear his thoughts. He'd done it in an attempt to finally get you away from Itachi and speak with you alone on a more personal level so he could get to know you better. "It's rude to stare," he said flatly and successfully made you jump as you quickly turned your head away to hide your embarrassment from him.  
"I-I'm sorry, Leader-sama..." you stammered.  
"Hm," was all he replied with as his gaze remained fixated on the water.  
You were quiet for a while before speaking, “Leader-sama…why did you call me out here?”  
“I…” he hesitated before starting again, “I…I wanted to spend some time alone together and congratulate you.”  
“O-Oh…” was all you managed to say as your cheeks became a shade of pink, and you shifted awkwardly from where you stood.  
  
Silence engulfed you two again as you stood there, one of you caught off guard and the other unsure how to proceed. It was Pein who made the first move. He shifted close to you till you could feel the man's cloak brush your own in the slight breeze. Then, he draped his arm over your shoulders and pulled you against him. You shivered even though he felt warm. You'd never have expected this man to pull you close in what felt like an affectionate manner on his part. You'd always seen him as the cold, heartless type. The kind who stepped on those beneath him in order to get what he wanted and didn't care at all for those who followed him. Yet here he was pulling you close to him and acting so differently with his actions even if his face gave away nothing. "You've blossomed beautifully," he said after a few moments which caused your cheeks to change shades again.  
"I'd never have expected you to praise me in such a manner," you said carefully as you looked down at the grass that shifted in the wind and felt an uncomfortable feeling in your stomach at his words.  
"Only those I am fond of receive such praise," came his reply as he played with a few stray strands of your hair in his fingers.  
"You know...for a man who lacks emotions, your actions speak louder than your words..." you murmured awkwardly.  
"Do they?" he inquired, and you swore you heard amusement in his voice.  
"Yes..." you whispered.  
"Then I hope this will tell you all you need to know," he said before leaning over and placing a chaste kiss on your forehead. "Congratulations, (Y/n)."  
  
Your jaw slackened slightly as the man held you for a moment longer before parting from you. You couldn't even speak as he walked away without another word. You felt paralyzed in shock at the man's action that had been so simple, yet it felt as if it held so much meaning. Your hand found its way to your forehead as you pressed the palm against it and took in a deep breath to calm your emotions. You felt faint, shocked, and confused as you tried to process why your cheeks burned with heat and your heart felt like it would explode out of your chest. You swallowed hard before turning away from the lake with one thing on your mind as you strode towards the hideout. The one man you seeked out on your brain, your partner, the one you spent your nights with, the man you confided in; Itachi Uchiha.


	10. Revelation

You were surprised to find Itachi awaiting your arrival in your room. The man had discarded his cloak as usual and hung it over the chair to your desk. He gave his usual slight smile as you entered, but it quickly became a frown. "What's troubling you?" He asked as you shut the door. "Am I really that easy to read?" you asked as you leaned against the door to keep some distance between you both. "After spending so much time with you, yes," he said as he stood up and made his way towards you. "Now..." He stopped in front of you and leaned down to gaze at you. "What's wrong?"  
"I-It's really nothing, Itachi," you said.  
"Are you sure?" he pressed.  
"Yes..." you answered, and he frowned.  
  
You obviously weren't convincing the man, but he didn't try to push you anymore. He pulled away and returned to sitting on your bed. He waved you over when you didn't move to join him. You nodded and moved to sit beside him, but he wrapped an arm around you and pulled you into him. "I'm not going to force you to tell me what's troubling you," he said quietly. "But just know, I am here for you."  
"I know," you said as you relaxed against him. "You've told me many times before, and I'm eternally grateful for that."  
"I mean it, (y/n)," he said sounding serious as he looked down at you. "I'll always be here regardless if you want me to be or not."  
"Itachi, I'd never want you not beside me," you said as you pulled away slightly to look at him.  
"I'm glad to hear that," he murmured before hesitating. "(Y/n)...there's something I need to tell you."  
"Go on," you said as you shifted a little away from him to give yourself space from him.  
"I...I haven't been fair to you," he admitted. "I've lied to you and harmed you with my actions, and I apologize."  
"Itachi we've been over this-"  
"Let me finish. I apologize for my past actions regardless of knowing you forgive me. However, there is still something I've been keeping from you that you should know," he said, and you looked at him expectantly. "...I care about you in a manner that isn't acceptable to be just friends."  
  
You stared at him with confusion until it hit you. Your jaw dropped as you stared at the Uchiha. He'd just confessed he felt something towards you, that he was  _in love with you_. What could you say? You were speechless. Itachi was avoiding your gaze as he was clearly uncomfortable that you weren't speaking. You shut your jaw before reaching out and taking his hand. He turned to look at you with faint surprise in his features. You gave him a small smile before speaking, "I...I feel the same way." He looked startled for a few seconds before his face melted with happiness, and he slowly leaned in towards you.  
  
You watched him with wide eyes as his breath tickled your lips, and you could feel his body heat. Then the feeling of his soft lips on yours became apparent and your (e/c) eyes fluttered closed. Your hand reached up to caress his cheek, and his own gently touched the back of yours. Your eyes opened as he pulled away after several long moments, and he smiled at you. His thumb ran small circles into the back of your hand as his eyes searched yours as if trying to ensure you weren't showing any signs of doubt of the new relationship between you two. After not finding any, he leaned in and pressed your foreheads together, the coolness of the metal from his headband making you shiver slightly. "I should get to bed, you should too," he said in a low voice.  
"Don't go," you whispered. "Stay tonight."  
  
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as if thinking. They opened again and he smiled as he spoke,   
  
“Alright.”  
  
\--  
  
The feeling of Itachi beside you instead of walking in front of you as usual was a nice change as you two headed to the kitchen for breakfast. It was a morning ritual for you to get up early and prepare breakfast for the members of the Akatsuki since you found you didn’t have much to do when you weren’t put out on missions other than train or help around the base. As a result, you took over the job of cooking meals as a way to stay busy and prevent Tobi from making his usually overcooked food for everyone. He caught your hand before you rounded the corner to the kitchen and kissed your forehead making you blush. You walked in with your eyes stuck to the floor, and Itachi followed after you. He took a seat in one of the stools at the island in the middle of the kitchen as you started on making some coffee and green tea as you knew by now exactly what the members liked to drink to wake themselves from their usual drowsiness. As you set the kettle down on the stove, Kisame entered looking disheveled and like he got barely any sleep. He slid into the seat beside Itachi with a groan as he rested his head on the counter. “You look like hell, Kisame,” you commented as you grabbed a mug from one of the cabinets for him and set it beside the coffee. He didn’t bother replying, too exhausted and in need of his coffee to care for your teasing.   
  
You poured him the usual cup once the coffee was ready and slid it over to him. He muttered a thank you as he took a gulp. A moment later, the sound of the teapot going off came, and grabbed it from the stove before preparing Itachi’s tea. He smiled as you passed it to him and took out the sugar for him. You handed it over with a spoon, and his fingers brushed yours with purpose as he took the spoon and sugar from you. You met his gaze evenly and winked at him before turning away to go start on making some rice and heat up the leftover fish and chicken from last night’s dinner. The gesture between you two hadn’t gone unnoticed however, and Kisame grinned as he looked between you two. “Well, well, Itachi. Do my eyes deceive me, but is there something going on between you two?” he asked in a knowing voice.   
“Enough, Kisame. Don’t start,” said Itachi evenly before drinking his tea.  
“Heh, alright fine. Doesn’t mean you won’t hear about this later,” he said, but he listened to the Uchiha and leaned back in his chair as he waited patiently for breakfast.  
  
It was at this point that more members began to spill into the room. Unfortunately, a certain Jashinist was one of these people as he entered with his partner right behind him. He let out a loud, obnoxious sigh as he sat down to the right of his partner who took his spot beside Kisame. You poured them both a cup of coffee, giving the Jashinist’s partner his favored bitterly black coffee. Meanwhile, the silver haired man got his coffee with a shot of cream and a spoonful of sugar which Itachi passed down to him. “Good morning Kakuzu,” you greeted the brunette with a nod before looking to the other man. “Hidan.” “Morning Beautiful,” said Hidan with a grin. “What ya got for us today?” “Heh, flirting already? You just woke up…” you muttered in annoyance as you turned away. “Rice with leftovers from last night,” you added over your shoulder as you got to work.  
“Sounds great as always, although whatever you made is wonderful,” he said with a grin as Itachi watched him out of the corner of his eyes with slight annoyance creeping into their black depths.   
“Hn,” was all you responded with and the Jashinist frowned.  
“Oh come on, no need to be so stiff,” he said. “What do you have going on today? Maybe I can take you out?”  
“No thanks,” you answered bluntly.  
“But-“  
“Hidan you don’t know when to shut your damn trap,” said Kakuzu who was struggling to determine what bounty they were to go after next due to him being so loud. “Be quiet for five minutes so I can focus.”  
“Oh fuck you, Kakuzu,” growled Hidan. “You and your stupid bounties are a sin! Why should I give a fuck that you want peace and quiet when you’re committing a sin to my religion and making me have to help you?”  
  
You groaned inwardly as the two began to argue with each other and focused on making breakfast. As you drowned out the sounds of the men arguing, you found yourself deep in thought. It was hard for you to fathom you were dating Itachi Uchiha, the man you’d felt like your heart had slowly been captured by from every night spent together sharing stories and enjoying moments you cherished together. A small smile found its way onto your face as you thought of them, but it faded as you realized you’d have complications to deal with soon. You needed to speak with Leader-sama. It wasn’t like last night’s events between you two meant nothing. There was clearly an underlying reason he’d acted in such a manner, and you were certain he was holding back feelings for you that he’d let slip through the cracks yesterday. As you got out some plates and bowls, waiting for the food to finish cooking and heating up, you wondered how to even approach someone like him. You decided to brush it off for now as you caught Itachi looking at you with a perplexed expression as to why you looked troubled. You shook your head, forcing a smile before turning away to begin plating the food for the men. However, as you went to prepare Kakuzu and Hidan’s plates, Kakuzu interrupted your thoughts by calling your name. You paused and he spoke, “Don’t bother. I’m taking this idiot out on a mission.”  
  
You gave a short nod as Hidan shouted profanities and protests while Kakuzu literally dragged him out. You shook your head after them as you spooned some rice into bowls for Kisame and Itachi before placing the food in front of them. They thanked you before digging in as you took away the unfinished drinks the zombie duo had left behind and began to clean them. The sound of footsteps coming down the hallway and loud arguing alerted you of the next group to arrive. You sighed and went to prepare the plate and bowl of rice for the only one of the three who would actually be eating.  The blond walked in, glaring at a masked male who ran past him, arms flailing as he cried out, “(y/n)-chan~!” “Good morning, Tobi, Deidara, and Sasori,” you greeted as Deidara whacked him over the head. “Pipe down will you, un?” he growled as Tobi began to cry.  
“Senpai that hurt! (y/n)-chan, Senpai is being mean to Tobi!”  
“Deidara please…” you sighed, and he muttered something as the third member of their party took a seat silently beside Kisame.  
“Sorry Tobi, un,” he said reluctantly before Tobi grabbed him by his arm and dragged him over by Itachi and shoved the poor blond into the seat next to the Uchiha. “Tobi…” he started again, but you silenced him with a glare as you gave him his food.  
  
Deidara was the only one of the three who would eat. Sasori found no reason to with him being a puppet, and Tobi refused to remove his mask so you normally left him food for him to get later to eat alone in his room or wherever he scurried off to when he got hungry. He gulped before slouching in defeat and shooting daggers at Itachi as he slowly ate his food. You poured him a cup of green tea and gave it to him before pouring a cup of coffee for yourself and putting a few spoonfuls of sugar and a shot of cream in it. “So Tobi, is Zetsu joining us today?” you asked as you sipped your coffee. “No, Zetsu told Tobi that he will be out,” he answered. You gave a short nod to him in response and closed your eyes. That just left Konan and Leader-sama. They didn’t normally join the group in eating, but occasionally did, and you always left food for them in the fridge for later when they did. However, today was one of those rare occasions as two pairs of footsteps came from the hallway.  
  
You quickly prepared their drinks, one green tea with sugar and honey in it for Konan, and a coffee with a small amount of cream in it for your leader. She set them at their usual spot and prepared their food next. Meanwhile, the others went about their business. Itachi and Kisame began to discuss the possibilities of their next mission while Tobi bothered Deidara, and Sasori sat working on a little puppet out of boredom. Leader took his seat silently as Konan sat beside him, grateful to drink her tea that sat waiting for her. Pein however, didn’t even touch his drink as his lavender eyes watched (y/n) moving about the kitchen to fix up their food. He pretended not to be paying (y/n) any mind as he watched your hips sway slightly with each movement, and he looked away to study his members only to find a certain raven haired man eyeing him. He held his gaze, the Uchiha eventually looking away to focus on (y/n) as you set the food before the God and his Angel. “Thank you, (y/n)-chan,” said Konan politely.  
“It’s nothing,” you answered as the two began to slowly eat, and you grabbed your own plate of food and bowl before setting it down near Itachi and Kisame.  
  
Pein watched his from just over the rim of his cup as you leaned on the counter beside Itachi and Kisame. That’s when he noticed it and had to stop himself from choking on his coffee. That look that you two shared. It was so quick he hardly caught it, but he knew he’d seen it. It was the type of look you reserved for someone who you cherished in a way that was much more than friends or even best friends. It was for those you were fond of, those that stole your heart, those you loved. He carefully placed his coffee back on the counter, eyes focused on the caramel brown liquid when he felt eyes on him. He turned his head to see Konan looking to him with concern that was laced with pity and displeasure. He turned away from her just as quickly as he looked to her and closed his eyes as he felt a burning jealousy in the pit of his stomach. It seemed as though he’d allowed Itachi to get too close to you during your time of partnership with the Uchiha and his half-shark partner. He picked up his cup and took a long, slow sip of his coffee as he thought that maybe now was a good time to change up your partners and focus on something else for a change other than your fighting. He believed it was time to begin honing your medical knowledge and ninjutsu as well as possibly teach you in the art of poisons.


	11. Perturb

“See (y/n)? Then, you crush up the berries into a very fine paste or powder before…(y/n)? Are you listening to me?” said the redhead looking quite annoyed as he caught you not listening to him for the fourth time that day. You blinked, quickly straightening up and nodding. 

 

“Y-Yes, Master Sasori,” you stammered. 

 

He set down the wooden mortar and pestle, the grinding of the herbs and berries forgotten. His taupe eyes closing as he struggled to remain patient with you. He took in a deep breath, letting it out a moment later before his eyes fluttered open and rested on you. You were so surprised at his ability to have such patience with you, but you knew it was only because Itachi would murder him if he did anything other than do so with you. “You need to focus,” he said with much effort to remain calm. “I’ve taught you this four times now.”

 

“S-Sorry Master Sasori,” you apologized. “I…I just don’t understand why I w-was put under your teachings…no o-offense to you of course, but…I thought I-I was doing well with Kisame, and Itachi.”

 

“It’s fine,” he sighed. “And I’m sure Leader didn’t mean for it to seem as a punishment. To me it seems as if he just wants to ensure that you’re capable of fending for yourself in all situations. Which is why you need to pay attention.”

 

You gave a small nod, pushing aside your selfishness and murmured, “Alright.”

 

With that, he launched into explaining yet again how to create the varying concoctions of toxins and which were best to use to create lethal doses. All the while, you listened intently this time, hoping to learn and better prepare yourself in a fight if you were incapable of relying on your arsenal of varying jutsus.

 

\--

 

You hugged your knees as you sat at the lake that you’d been at with Pein just a few weeks prior and stared into the blue depths that reflected the light of the morning sun. You couldn’t believe the events of earlier. You’d been held back from a mission with your own team. When you’d confronted Leader about it, he’d gave the explanation of your training with Sasori being top priority right now. You knew it wasn’t just Sasori’s teachings that were getting in the way of the mission, you could tell he had an ulterior motive for holding you back. You were certain it had to do with the night at the lake you two had shared after receiving your ring. Your thumb brushed over the ring’s surface as you heard footsteps. You called over your shoulder, “Look, I don’t want to talk to you. So just leave me the hell alone, you’ve hurt me enough today.”

 

There was a chuckled before a reply came, “Sorry girl, but I’m afraid I’m not who you think I am. Sorry to disappoint you.”

 

You stiffened as the voice continued, “I’ve got orders to take you with me as our Lord would like to see you.”

 

“I’m afraid that won’t be happening,” you said before whirling around and the sound of metal clashing with metal sounded in the air.

 

Your (e/c) eyes locked on a gray cloaked figure as you both struggled to push the other back, kunai scrapping together as you both maintained a power struggle. You could barely see the person’s face except for that smug smirk on their face. You let out a growl deep in your throat before pushing forward and knocking the cloaked person away. “You made a terrible mistake,” you said making a hand sign. “Attacking someone with water nature near a lake of all places…” “You aren’t the only one with such a chakra nature,” came a reply as a hand sign was made on the cloaked person’s part.

 

With that, two large water dragons rose from the water, clashing together and raining water down on you and the cloaked figure. “Yes, but you don’t have this,” you said before your hands lit with lightning and you slammed them on the puddle of water on the ground between you both. A shout was heard as you electrocuted your opponent. The cloaked person fell to their hands and knees, hissing in pain as a few drops of blood fell to the muddy earth. 

 

“I see…so they’ve trained you, eh? I should have known. I suppose not everything can go in one’s favor,” said the hooded person as they lifted their head, the hood falling away to reveal a man.

 

He had silver hair tied back in a ponytail, onyx eyes, and most notably, black rimmed circular glasses. Blood dripped from the corner of his lips, and his cold gaze was fixated upon you. “How unfortunate that I’ll have to take you by force if you cannot cooperate,” he sighed before his hands glowed blue with chakra. “No matter…you will meet my Lord whether in one piece or several.” You bared your teeth, getting in a low stance as you whipped out a kunai. A breeze picked up, making a few leaves fall from the trees and land on the water. As soon as it settled, the fight resumed. He rushed you, swinging with the chakra blade, and you took to the air, barely managing to jump over the attack. You turned mid-air, throwing your kunai at the man. 

 

He sidestepped it, before he lunged at you as you landed. You gasped, the man managing to cut a few strands of hair, and you could hear the concentration of chakra’s noise as it ran past your face. You stumbled back as he swung again, continuing to narrowly miss being cut up as you continued narrowly dodging the volley of swings. Then, you stumbled and tripped, falling and a sharp pain cut through your shoulder. You let out a cry, grabbing your shoulder as a warm liquid formed between your fingers. You cursed, barely managing to roll aside and get to your feet as he tried to land a blow to your stomach. You gritted your teeth, hand lighting up with lightning, and you targeted the man, a strike flying at him. He barely managed to get away from the jutsu, before getting up in your face. You gasped, surprised at his speed before he drove his hand through your side.

 

You coughed, pain exploding through you far worse than when you’d been back in the Hidden Grass. You staggered, falling forward, but he caught you. “You know…this could’ve been avoided had you come with me, but you had to make it difficult,” he said. “No matter….Lord Orochimaru shall be pleased with my work regardless.” As your eyes closed and your vision spotted up with darkness your mind could only think of one individual before you lost consciousness.

 

_ Itachi… _

 

\--

 

“Where is she?” asked the redhead impatiently as he paced his workshop, his blond haired companion seated on a stool nearby.

 

“Who knows, un. Maybe she finally started thinking straight and realized your art is inferior to mine, yeah?” said the blond and the redhead stopped to turn and glare at him doll-like eyes.

 

“Deidara, if she ever thought your sad excuse for art was better than mine, then she’d be mistaken,” said the man.

 

“Sasori, my man, my art is _ not _ a ‘sad excuse’, it is true art compared to yours, un. Art is in the moment of an explosion, not some silly puppet,” argued Deidara.

 

“You’re such a brat…” sighed Sasori turning away. “Well, waiting will solve nothing. Make yourself useful and help me ask around for her. I’ll check her room.”

 

“Fine, un.”

 

\--

 

Determining that (y/n) was missing created a stir amongst the Akatsuki members as most were certain she wouldn’t leave on her own accord considering this was home to her. So that left the question of had she disobeyed Pein and gone after Itachi, and Kisame? Or, had she be taken away from them by someone? The murmurs quieted as a ginger haired man entered the room with Lady Angel at his side. His lavender eyes moved over the group, noting their discontent hung heavy in the air. They landed on Sasori, narrowing just slightly. “Sasori, what is the meaning of this?” he asked. “Where is (y/n), I thought she was under your care.”

 

He gulped before answering, “Well, you see…she didn’t show up this morning, and we cannot find her anywhere in the base. None of the members have seen her since last night.”

 

“I see,” he said as he maintained his composure.

 

“What would you like us to do?” asked Konan.

 

“Nothing,” he answered. “I shall look for her myself.”


	12. Imprisonment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone,
> 
> so you may have noticed this hasn't been updated in a long time. Reason being, I'm no longer interested. Will I return to this? Maybe when I am no longer interested in Overwatch or other stuff...my apologies...
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Emmy

Your eyes opened slowly, a dull pounding in your head as you came to. You blinked, seeing gray sheets covering your body, and you looked around the room from where you lay. It was a small square room with patterns carved in the walls and floor. The only other furniture in the room was a small nightstand that held a candle atop it. As you became aware of your surroundings, only then did the feeling of fear and confusion take hold of you. You bolted upright as a result, and you gasped in pain from the wound you’d sustained to your side. As your fear increased due to the unfamiliarity of the area, your mind found itself yearning for Itachi’s comforting hold. However, that would be impossible and your thoughts of the Uchiha would have to wait as the click of the doorknob turning scattered them. Your head turned to see the same man from before enter, his coal colored eyes gleaming from behind his glasses as he spoke, “Ah you’re finally awake! Wonderful, Lord Orochimaru shall be pleased.”

 

“Wh-Who are you!? Why am I here?” you shouted with a shaky voice.

 

“My name is Kabuto Yakushi, and you (y/n) are here simply for my Lord’s needs.”

 

“I’m not some tool you can use when you find me needed, I will <i>not</i> meet your Lord, nor will he use me!” 

 

“Stupid girl,” he said walking over and yanking you off the bed by your hair making you cry out in pain. “You really think you’re going to be able to refuse something like this? That you’ll be saved and not have to meet with him? Your best bet would be to shut up and listen. Now, are you going to do as you are told, or must I make a wound so bad it’ll leave a scar for your precious boyfriend to see later? That is…if you ever see him again.”

  
  


You stiffened as you struggled to get him to stop pulling your hair. He <i>knew</i> about Itachi. How he did was beyond you, but you knew if you acted against this man and his Lord, you’d be putting the Uchiha at risk. He released his hold on your hair after you gave a short nod. “Good, now follow me.” With that he walked out into the hallway, and you trailed after him, silently apologizing to the Uchiha and the Akatsuki who’d become a family to you.

 

\--

 

The trip had been a silent one, Kabuto not saying a word, and you not wanting to converse with him as he stopped before a door. He said nothing as he opened it, motioning you to enter, and you obeyed. Upon entering you saw an all too familiar raven haired teenager sharpening a sword as he sat on a crate and a young looking pale man with long onyx colored hair and snake-like eyes. The older of the two turned, eyes gleaming with happiness as they rested upon your figure. “Ah, so the child has awakened, yes?” he said, and you could see the other looking unhappy. “So my dear…I have a few questions for you. My main one being how you ended up with the Akatsuki in the first place and why they decided to keep you with them.” You remained quiet, looking away from him. You didn’t want to answer him. He didn’t need to know. “Alright…then how about tell me more of your kekkei genkai?” he pressed, but he received no answer yet again, which began to annoy the Sannin. 

 

“Fine, if you won’t tell me that, then why don’t we talk about Uchiha Itachi?” he said and the young teen stiffened.

 

“You know Itachi?” He hissed

 

“Oh she knows him well, child,” said the snake with a toothy grin.

 

“Who the hell are you?” shouted the ravenette, storming over and grabbing you by the front of your cloak. “What is your relationship to him!?”

 

You blinked in surprise at his attitude. That was…until it hit you. His dark hair, charcoal colored eyes, and pale white skin. <I>He must be Itachi’s younger brother from all that time ago…</I> you thought. You’d not recognized him before since he’d grown up a bit. You were pulled for your thoughts as he shook you viciously. “Answer me!” Sasuke shouted, and you noticed Orochimaru was becoming quickly annoyed behind him. It must’ve been from the way he was handling you or his outbursts. 

 

“Sasuke, you may ask her more questions later,” said the Sannin. “Right now, she’s mine.” 

 

The Uchiha looked over his shoulder to glare at him, but he released you with reluctance. “Kabuto, if you would,” said Orochimaru. 

 

“Yes my Lord,” he said as he move over to Sasuke’s side and led him out of the room to leave you alone with Orochimaru.

  
  


—

  
  


The ginger haired man stood in silence as he overlooked the vast landscape of the Hidden Sound. The blue haired kunoichi at his side stared at him with golden orbs in silence for some time before finally speaking up. “Nagato…what are you thinking?” She asked him.

 

“I’m thinking of how we will get (y/n) back and make sure Orochimaru knows his place.”

 

“But we don’t even know if he has her-“ she cut off as realization hit her. “So that’s what this is about? If you save her from whoever has her you think she will come running to you. Is that it? Well that’s not how things work Nagato. Just because you save her and Itachi doesn’t means nothing. It isn’t going to change how she feels, Nagato.”

 

His lavender eyes flashed with anger as he argued, “Konan you know <I>nothing</I>.”

 

He said nothing more as he started off without her. She sighed as she followed him reluctantly.

  
  


—

  
  


You were uneasy as the pale man walked around you, a smirk on his face. “Now that we’re alone…” he said. “It is time I get some answers…” You looked at your feet. You weren’t going to tell him anything. You’d never betray any of the Akatsuki. You considered them family at this point and you’d be damned if you were to rat out your family. Orochimaru seemed to pick up on your stubbornness and his eyes narrowed as he stopped behind you. You felt his breath tickle your ear as he spoke, “You know (y/n), I know quite a lot about you. I know how you were apart of the Hidden Grass, and I know how they treated you. How they locked you away in that cellar all alone in the dark…” You stiffened at his words. “How you were cut up and abused…the scars it left on you. I also know how Pain found you and saved you. I also know of your relationship with Itachi and the desire you have to watch the Hidden Grass burn to the ground.”

 

Your fists balled up as you asked through gritted teeth, “How do you know so much about me?”

 

“My dear I have simply been keeping an eye on you. You’ve peaked my interest, and I have someone here who is just like you. Perhaps if you simply answer my questions you could meet her…”

 

“Someone like me…?” you asked curiosity peaked.

 

“Yes…but we will get to that, child. Now I’ve see questions for you…I’d like to know where Itachi is for starters…”

 

She felt uneasy due to his tone, and she replied, “If this is about my kekkei genkai or any Akatsuki members…then I’m not telling you anything.”

 

He clicked his tongue in displeasure and said, “Child if you won’t comply it’ll only get you hurt.”

 

“I’ve said what I had to. I will not rat out the Akatsuki and most certainly not Itachi.”

 

“Foolish child. If you won’t help me willingly, I have other ways to make you talk. One way or another I will get the information I desire,” he hissed before a sharp pain shot through your neck.

 

Your hand shot your neck, eyes wide as you jerked away from the Sannin. He was grinning at you as he held a syringe in his right hand. Seeing that sick gleam in his gaze made your stomach churn as the drug started taking affect and you found your eyes growing heavy as your muscles relaxed. As you passed out, your last thoughts were on how you’d never betray the Akatsuki or the man who's been there for you since you’d met your new family.

  
  


—

  
  


Meanwhile, in a village far away from the Land of Sound a certain Uchiha and and his companion had just finished their assignment and were stopping in a small village to eat and rest. As they passed through various shops, something caught the man’s eye making his stop, and his companion paused. “What is it, Itachi?”

 

“Go on, I will catch up,” he replied, and his companion grunted before carrying on.

 

Itachi walked over to a small stand where an older woman was set up. His eyes overlooked the various objects before resting on the one that had caught his eyes. He smiled slightly and pointed to it. “I will take this if you don’t mind,” he said, and less than five minutes later, he had left, the object tucked safely away as he went to rejoin Kisame. He could only hope that you’d like it.


End file.
